Unknowns, Part the Prior
by CharlotteBlackwood
Summary: The world is new, changing but as yet unchanged. Young men and women caught between worlds are forced to choose between desire and expectation. Mistakes are costly-and what is hastily thrown together is easily torn apart. Prequel to a series. AB/OC, OB/OC, OB/WB. M
1. The World After War

**A/N: Welcome to Part 0 of my Unknowns series! If you've not read any of it, this is a good place to start! If you'd rather start where others did, please go ahead and start with Part 1, but either is a suitable starting point. If you've been following along, you might read Part 4 concurrently with this, but be warned there may be spoilers for this in Part 4.**

 **I will post weekly, on Saturdays, to both Parts, however reviews to ANY part of the series are tallied, and 15 reviews in a week earns a bonus to both parts, and a further fifteen a second bonus, and so on. Reviews must have at least two words to be considered valid for the tally, and questions will be answered at the Q &A section at the bottom of the chapter.**

 **Excited to start this ride with y'all! Cheers!**

 **-C**

 **Christmas, 1945 – Lestrange Manor**

Orion Black hummed to the hostess before following his father into the fray, letting his eyes scan the ballroom stacked with familiar faces, searching for one face in particular – searching for Rohesia Fawley. Her father was easy to spot, still as gregarious and brash as ever after his political disgrace some years ago, talking up a blue streak with a group of Ministry-interested men in the corner.

Rohesia was easy enough to spot, as well, with a perfect set of shimmering emerald dress robes, displaying just enough skin around her décolletage to tease every man in the room with its pale smoothness, and the way a few stray black hairs tickled her skin at the base of her neck. She was surrounded by little pockets of boys – ages fourteen and up, from the look of it – and young men, all pretending they weren't gathered around to imagine she was on their arm. Orion was already imagining from across the room, but she was standing with her dearest friends – Isabel Greengrass and Aldise Yaxley – and on the arm of his cousin, Alphard.

For as far back in Orion's life as was worth remembering, he and Alphard had both vied for Rohesia's attention, first as small children trying to show her the impressive things they found in the gardens of the houses were the parties were held, then as school children offering to study with her, but while Orion thought he was a reasonably attractive sort, his cousin Alphard was unfairly attractive, effortlessly charming, with a bold and rebellious streak Orion could not afford as the first son of the first son going back generations.

So, of course, she always started the parties on Alphard's arm, not because he arrived first, but – in Orion's mind – because he could offer her a kind of fun, carefree existence Orion never could.

Orion crossed to his cousin and Rohesia, kissing her hand, as was customary, as he greeted her. Her deep brown eyes were perhaps the most beautiful thing in the world, and Orion let go of her hand with reluctance, gazing up at her.

"You've missed it," Isabel said after he greeted the other ladies. "Rohesia's already been asked to dance by six different suitors. It's getting absurd."

"It's bound to happen when people no longer have politics to depress them," Alphard said with a wink to Orion. "Praise Albus Dumbledore. Your love life is saved."

"I never thought it was in jeopardy," Rohesia said ironically.

Orion smiled reflexively at her little joke, enjoying the rich, resonating quality of her voice. Inherited from her father, certainly, although she had a subtlety entirely from her mother's side, where she and Aldise were something like second or third cousins, through the Rosiers. Alphard's sister had everyone's connections memorized, but Orion only knew the ones he needed to know – his own family, and the distance of relation to Rohesia, the only girl he knew worth marrying.

"Ah, Magnus approaches," Alphard said with a wink.

"I think I'll actually take this one," Rohesia said, patting Alphard's hand. "Conversation is getting dull."

Alphard bowed elaborately, and gestured for Orion to follow him out to the patio, where he would no doubt smoke one of his vile Muggle cigarettes.

As always, Orion followed his cousin.

/-/

Alphard felt a wave of irritation as he and Orion walked out onto the patio. For as long as Alphard had noticed girls eventually became women, he and his cousin had been enthralled by the same girl. It was a tiresome thing, a difficult thing, but Alphard knew his cousin would have more to offer. Not as a man, but as a husband in their world. Alphard knew Rohesia would have her pick of wealthy, well-bred families, and first sons of first sons, and so it hardly mattered, but Alphard couldn't help adoring her.

"It's getting bloody ridiculous," Alphard sighed, lighting a cigarette and enjoying the glow at the end of it before taking a long drag. "It's like every eligible man in the room is drooling over her, and even some of the not-so-eligible ones."

"Not-so-eligible?"

"The already married," Alphard sneered. "You going to ask her to dance?"

Orion shrugged and said nothing.

Of course he wouldn't. The frustrating thing about Orion was that he was terribly shy. Alphard had the temperament for Orion's place in the family, but they couldn't swap. They looked similar, a family resemblance, but not similar enough for that.

"I'd dance the whole bloody night with her, if I could," Alphard sighed, exhaling the cigarette smoke into the darkness. "Listen, she was saying she'd actually go to Hogsmeade in February. With the ladies, of course. But if you aren't doing anything with Cygnus, I bet they'd let us tag along."

Orion was noncommittal, but Alphard knew he'd agree to the idea. Both of the Blacks were pretty hopeless when it came to finding excuses to be near Rohesia Fawley.

Alphard glanced back through a nearby window and took but a moment to find her among the dancers, talking and laughing with his best friend, Magnus Selwyn. They looked very nice together, but not as nice as she looked on Alphard's arm. And while Magnus could make her laugh, Alphard was certain none of her laughs were ever as sincere as the ones she had when he joked. Perhaps he was deluding himself, but it was a beautiful dream, to think she might have a fraction of the interest in him as he had in her.

"Are you going to finish that thing," Orion asked brusquely, "or not?"

Alphard smirked, taking longer drags, knowing Orion was staying outside with him out of courtesy and was likely freezing his fingers off, too proud to stick his hands under his arms. Whatever fool invented dress robes without pockets deserved to be hanged, Alphard thought as he exhaled a long, smoke-filled breath into the night air.

Then again, he mused, whoever designed Rohesia's delicious robes deserved a medal.

/-/

Rohesia finished the dance with Magnus and allowed him to escort her to the punch, glancing into the music room as they walked to see the small children toddling along, struggling over the blocks, and tugging each other's hair. It was strange to think, not ten years ago, she was among those children, desperately bored and wanting to join the adults, but too young to be allowed.

"You look lovely, Rohesia," Magnus said in his warm, kind way. "More than usual."

His words of flattery were comforting, sweet, but she thought it did him no credit that he was Alphard Black's best friend. With so many Blacks in her general age group, it was hard for any young man to stand out beyond them – although Cygnus was relatively plain, but then also completely uninterested in her – and Alphard and Orion were both absurdly handsome. Alphard was roguish, confident, almost dangerous looking. Orion was aristocratic, classically handsome, charming. She had no doubt if someone had blended the two together, the result would be irresistible, not that either was easy to resist as they were.

Magnus was reasonably attractive, but compared with the Black cousins, he was a loaf of bread in a patisserie.

"That's very kind of you to say, Magnus," Rohesia said earnestly, glancing around as he handed her a glass of punch. She couldn't find her father, but she suspected he had gone to an adjacent room to discuss politics – his great failing. He could never turn away from the important things of the world, even after his insurmountable disgrace. "Aldise thought the robes were rather vulgar, but I thought they might be fun. My father didn't see a problem with them."

"Your father," Alphard's voice said over her shoulder, "sees nothing wrong with anything you do, my dear."

She couldn't help it. Every time she heard Alphard, she smiled, and she turned to allow him to kiss her hand for the third time that evening. Orion was with him, of course, his eyes a bit wide and his attention fully on her. If she'd not seen the way he was with other girls, she would have thought this was normal for him, but then Rohesia was used to Orion and Alphard and Magnus and other boys of their age making fools of themselves. She just wished she knew if it was for her or for her gold.

"So, you don't like the robes?" she said with feigned concern, and Alphard laughed, a full, warm, rich laugh.

"My dear," he said, letting his hand linger too long on hers, "I have never been so enamored with robes as I am with the ones you are currently wearing, and if you were to wear nothing else but these robes for the rest of your life, I would die an exquisitely happy man."

Rohesia rolled her eyes, took a sip of punch, and waited for one of the three – or some newcomer – to ask her to dance again. It was a matter of time, she supposed. But she glanced at Orion, half-wishing he'd ask, just for a change. He watched, but never acted, which was both intriguing and irritating. And she couldn't tell which side would win out.

/-/

Magnus felt like a fool as he watched Rohesia being led away by an Avery – he could never remember which Avery was which, but this was the one who'd just graduated, second in his year, to Tom Riddle – who looked something like a gorilla. She was polite, of course, but Rohesia Fawley was always polite.

Was she only being polite to Magnus? Did she actually have no interest in him at all, but was simply too polite to say so?

"You're sweating, Magnus," Alphard said slyly. "Like a bloody pig. It's disgusting."

"I can't help it," Magnus sighed. "She makes me nervous."

"At least you have enough nerves to ask her to dance," Alphard muttered, frowning at his cousin, Orion, who was still watching Rohesia, even as she danced with the very awkward Avery.

Magnus would never understand Alphard. They were best friends. They had gobs of fun together. Alphard had even convinced Magnus to try a cigarette or two, and they weren't as disgusting as Magnus had anticipated. Sometimes, they'd even get drunk and swap stories about their wet dreams – usually about Rohesia, but occasionally other attractive women they did or didn't know. And Alphard was mostly simple. He liked good alcohol, expensive cigarettes, provocative music, and beautiful women with pale shoulders. It was an odd thing, but Alphard was obsessed with shoulders, and the full exposure of Rohesia's shoulders in those dress robes was likely driving him to fits of lust.

The only truly complicated thing about Alphard, the thing Magnus supposed he would never understand, was the strange sort of relationship he had with his cousin, Orion. They'd been terribly close from a young age, read the same books, sneaked the same booze, and lusted after the same woman. Lusting after Rohesia had practically been a required pastime for boys their age, so Magnus couldn't fault that. What he didn't understand was Alphard's behavior toward Orion's interest. Instead of being jealous, possessive, or teasing, he seemed to try to encourage Orion out of his shell, push the two together, hint that perhaps they would make a good marital match.

It was like he wanted his cousin to marry the girl of his dreams. Of both their dreams.

Magnus did not understand.

"Don't know that it did much good," Magnus lamented. "I made her chuckle a bit, but she does that with everyone. And just hearing your voice, she lit up like spotlights on a Gringott's vault."

To Alphard's credit, he tried to not react, but his lips did twitch with satisfaction at knowing she was so pleased to be around him. It really wasn't fair, Alphard's being the more attractive, more entertaining, more interesting of the two of them. But at least Magnus was the one set to head his family. Alphard could never have that.

/-/

Walburga stood with her Uncle Arcturus and watched as his son – like all the other young men, including her brother – watched every move Rohesia Fawley made like she was entrancing him.

"A lovely young woman," Walburga's father said, approaching. He nodded to where Alphard and Rohesia were talking by the windows, laughing about something. Something vulgar and ridiculous, no doubt. Walburga sniffed at the suggestion Rohesia was lovely.

Perhaps she had fine cheekbones. And yes, her hair was especially lustrous and long. And it had to be conceded her bone structure was classically superior. And her eyes were just the right amount apart for their size. But these things were to be expected in their circles.

Walburga thought she herself might fit most of these descriptors, although she wasn't as lithe as Rohesia, and her hair had always given her trouble. If she tried to grow it too long, it simply broke off, and whatever beauty treatments she tried made no difference.

"A shame about her father," Uncle Arcturus said softly. "Orion has quietly expressed his interest in courting her, perhaps submitting a contract proposal. I would have no doubts on the matter if not for…. Well, for a man whose political career is over, he does continue to be a pest on the subject."

There was little Walburga found less interesting than politics, but she listened with keen interest to everything negative her family said about Hector Fawley, the former Minister for Magic. She wouldn't give too figs one way or other about the man, but for the possibility that reminding her father or uncle about his failings could save her family from disaster somewhere down the road. And with the way both Orion and Alphard doted on Rohesia Fawley, Walburga thought it prudent to listen and memorize every dirty little detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

At least Cygnus appeared to have some sense, she though, glancing around for her youngest brother. He'd set his sights on a less attractive but far less objectionable girl, someone he could obtain without any slight or shame, and certainly without any great fear of rejection. Druella Rosier would make a fine addition to the Black family.

But Rohesia Fawley….

Well, Rohesia would never grace the halls of Walburga's fathers, if she had to slit that pretty, pale throat herself. It was a ghastly, messy way of dealing with matters, and Walburga preferred to take more subtle means, but needs must, and she was quite confident she would keep the line pure, not only from those of impure blood, but also those of inferior breeding. Whatever means necessary. And Rohesia Fawley was certainly a case of inferior breeding, whatever _Nature's Nobility_ deigned to tell her in this case.

Time would see her out on this matter. Walburga had no doubts whatsoever.

"Have you had any suitors yet, Walburga?" Uncle Arcturus asked, not especially coolly, but with a kind of business-like interest.

She tried not to tighten her jaw as she told him that no, she still had not received any offers. Or interest, for that matter.

/-/

Randolph Lestrange watched from the corner as Rohesia Fawley danced with Alphard Black for the third time in a row, and the fifth time for the evening. He sipped his punch with exterior appearance of calm and composure, as he always maintained on the exterior. On the inside, it would have been far more complicated to determine his feelings. Even he did not try.

He did know a lesser man would have felt jealousy, perhaps anger at his classmate, Alphard. A lesser man might have seen Alphard as a threat. Randolph, however, was distinguished enough not to feel any such threat.

After all, Randolph had a great deal over Alphard on paper. His inheriting exclusively. His future heading of his family. His lack of objectionable habits. If Randolph allowed himself the indulgence of such things, he could list a dozen reasons he would make a more suitable husband than Alphard Black ever could.

She would choose his bid for marriage, in the end. And if by some bizarre twist of fate she did not….

Randolph did not think long on such things. They were impossible, really. The only person who could have any claim greater than his was Orion Black, and as Orion barely had the fortitude to string more than a sentence together directed toward her, it seemed unlikely he would manage to impress upon her the reasoning for his being a suitable husband.

No, Randolph could have been many things in that moment, but he was certainly not jealous. Even when Alphard kissed her hand for going on the tenth time for the evening and she flushed prettily, Randolph did not bother with the baseness of jealousy. He simply stood to retrieve more punch and bowed his head respectfully to Rohesia's closest friends – Aldise Yaxley and Isabel Greengrass. Attractive girls, but rather dull beside their friend.

"Randolph," Isabel said, being infinitely the bolder of the two girls, "have you convinced Rohesia to dance with you, yet?"

He bowed his head again, knowing she was attempting to tease him because the first time he'd asked, she'd said no.

"I have not yet had the pleasure," he said levelly. A lesser man would have been irritated, but not Randolph. "A custom of ours, you are aware. She amuses herself to reject me on the first request. Perhaps one of you would aid me in occupying my time until Miss Fawley is more suitably disposed to dancing with me?"

Isabel, in her somewhat uncouth way, snorted at the suggestion, and he smoothly turned his attention to Aldise – the less attractive of the two, although of obviously stronger constitution than the fragile-looking Isabel Greengrass – who flushed and agreed to a dance.

Randolph did not care about dancing, but he knew he was expertly accomplished at it, and that it became him to be seen dancing. He was enormously confident Rohesia would see him dancing and would thus change her mind for when he next requested a dance from her, perhaps two songs hence.

A lesser man might have folded after first refusal. But not Randolph Lestrange.

 **A/N: So, Orion and Alphard are interested in the same woman, Walburga despises said woman, and Randolph Lestrange is confident in his ability to win. Par for the course, I suppose?**

 **Review Prompt: Have you and a sibling/cousin/friend ever liked the same person? How did that feel?**

 **Q &A: I answer your questions here! Questions on anything, everything!**

 **Cheers!**

 **C**


	2. Contractual

**A/N: Here's your first earned bonus! There will also be a bonus on Part Four, for those reading both. Cheers!**

 **-C**

Albus Dumbledore watched the sixth and seventh year students file back into the Great Hall after their break, relieved to see little had changed, despite the news Horace had given him about one of their students – poor Rohesia Fawley.

"The contracts began pouring in just after the new year," Horace had said with a wink. "Over half a dozen contracts, and they suspect more will come. Hector hasn't chosen one. Says his daughter will decide."

While Albus respected Hector for allowing his daughter the privilege (which also bought her time to consider every contract, since there were so many), it was a great deal of pressure to put on a girl her age, or perhaps of any age. But as Miss Fawley entered the Great Hall between her closest friends, Miss Yaxley and Miss Greengrass, her head was held high, her posture familiar, and nothing about her seemed concerned or changed.

No pureblood woman had caused such a stir in the marital contract market as Rohesia Fawley, Albus supposed, because no wealthy, due-to-inherit young woman of pure blood had been quite so beautiful in some time. For most, that was all there was to it, although Albus knew several young men her age would be able to appreciate her intelligence, her strength of character, her playful quality….

"Horace," Albus said softly to his dear old friend. Horace hummed that he was listening as he watched some of his prized students come and sit at the Slytherin table. "The marriage contracts for Miss Fawley. Was there a Black among them?"

"A Black, let me think," Horace said, frowning slightly. The look did not look at home on Horace's usually jovial face. "Yes, Orion Black. I had rather thought Alphard would be put forward as well, but perhaps Arcturus and Pollux decided it would hurt their chances, having both young men put forward."

Dumbledore had a feeling, from the slight melancholy about Alphard, highly uncharacteristic, that it was more a matter of self-sacrifice – something Alphard was uncommonly high in, for a Slytherin.

/-/

Orion passed his cousin a chicken wing as Alphard listened to Magus dither on about his odds of getting the contract with Rohesia.

"I suppose they're low," Magnus said anxiously. "But then, I suppose they're better than yours, Alphard."

"Infinitely," Alphard said dryly, "as I've not put forward my name."

Orion's nostrils twitched and Magnus dropped his fork.

"What?" Magnus cried, and Orion shook his head sharply to indicate he needed to lower his voice. Magnus did so, hissing, "What do you mean? You adore her!"

"We all adore her, Magnus," Alphard said, coldly, smoothly. "We cannot all marry her. She wouldn't choose me, anyway."

Now that contracts had been offered and Hector Fawley made his statement – Rohesia's choice, whatever her choice, no matter how controversial – Orion wasn't so sure about this. On paper, Orion would be a better husband than Alphard, but no one could ignore Rohesia seemed to truly adore Alphard in a way she did not interact with anyone else.

Alphard rubbed his eyes, not eating, but instead watching the room, as if waiting for something. When the first person left the hall for bed, he stood abruptly, and Orion frowned.

"Right, I'm off to bed," he said coldly. "No, don't argue, Cygnus. I'm not at all hungry. I'll see you lot in the morning."

Magnus and Orion shared a frown over the table before Orion glanced up the table at Rohesia.

Instead of eating or talking to her friends, she was watching Alphard go with a frown, perhaps some concern.

But it was nothing, Orion told himself. She and Alphard were very good friends, and it was only natural for her to be concerned about him leaving the feast so early, when Alphard was usually one of the last to leave.

But a nasty voice in the back of his head told him she was only friends with Orion as well, and she was better friends with Alphard. She would not be interested in marrying him, and what then? Orion hadn't looked past her for a wife, a mate, a companion. She was perfect, so why bother?

Of course, now he wondered if he'd ever had any chance, if he would have any hope of having her choose him. And what would he do if she chose someone else? Who would he marry? Could he ever be happy, married to someone else and knowing Rohesia was not his? But then, he couldn't imagine what was going through Alphard's mind, knowing she was going to someone else and he hadn't even tried.

"Orion," Cygnus said, poking at his peas with careful steadiness of hand, "I need to borrow your Transfiguration notes."

Orion said it was fine. It was probably nothing. Nothing about school meant anything, anyway. Not like the contracts.

/-/

Alphard laid on the dark sofa, staring at the green light on the wall of the Slytherin common room. He knew his classmates would start filing in at any time, and he would no longer be alone, but he appreciated some space from all the chatter about Rohesia's contract prospects. It seemed everyone he knew – apart from Cygnus – put in an offer, everyone except for him. All hope of being with her was nothing.

The door to the common room opened, but he closed his eyes and tried to pretend he was asleep. The younger students wouldn't dare disturb him, and with the mood he'd been in all day, he doubted the older ones would, either.

He was startled into opening his eyes again, however, as he felt someone sitting on his thighs, as though trying to sit on his lap. Alphard was aware there were some…obscenely bold younger girls who thought him handsome, but he hadn't thought any were daft enough to try this….

He relaxed and smiled when he saw it was Rohesia sitting on him, and he sat up, ignoring the way his whole body seemed to twist and fizz under his skin to have her so close. She rested her head on his chest.

"Is everything alright?" she asked softly. "Only I've never seen you leave the food so early."

"Just not very hungry tonight, darling," he sighed. He breathed in, enjoying her distinctiveness. She always, always smelled of roses. "I suppose I should ask how you are, your enviable predicament."

Rohesia sighed and said, "It's not remotely enviable. I mean, I'm quite grateful to my father for not just choosing for me the way so many do. But when he told me I'd get to choose, he hadn't told me how many offers there already were. And you know, I got a letter, there were three more this morning!"

"Disgusting," Alphard said with a tight smile, not wanting her to hear any bitterness in his voice.

She hummed, breathing in deeply.

"I really love that soap," she sighed. He felt his insides seem to raise up like a wave.

"Any ideas who you're going to pick?" he asked, laying back again, this time, pulling her down with him. She was so soft, he thought, and warm. He could stay like this forever, if they didn't have to worry about the rest of the Slytherins coming back, he would have tried.

"I haven't looked at the contracts very carefully yet," she muttered. "School's more important right now."

He smiled a genuine grin. She had to be the only pureblood girl he'd heard say such a thing in his life.

"What about what you're looking for?" he asked. "A certain standing? A net worth? The manor being in the right county? I don't know. There's lots of possible factors."

"Haven't got a clue," she said, a frown in her voice. "I suppose it's too much to ask, but I'd like to be in love."

He closed his eyes, wincing. How utterly unfair she wasn't some beautiful, intelligent, classy half-blood with some loose connections to one of the best families. Then he could have married her without a second thought, and she would be all his, forever. Unspeakable happiness for the rest of his life, but no. She had to be a pureblood from a highly-regarded family.

"What if you fall in love with someone who didn't put in a request?" he said lazily, hoping she didn't hear the personal question in his voice. "Would you marry him anyway?"

"Oh, Alphard don't be daft," she said with a laugh. "I couldn't possibly. And anyway, if he's not put in a request, he can't be that interested, can he?"

"No," he said tightly, his whole body seeming to contract in on itself, pain in so many places at once. "I suppose you're quite right."

/-/

Rohesia found the contract nonsense increasingly irritating as she went through her school days back from the holiday break. Whispers in the corridors, obnoxious leering from the male population, and Alphard's increasingly strange behavior all had her a bit on edge, but she couldn't let it get to her. She couldn't allow any of the mess to affect her schoolwork.

However, when Professor Dumbledore asked her to stay a moment longer at the end of her Transfiguration class, she thought it had done just that. She was tugging her fingers anxiously behind her back as she waited for him to look up from a student essay he was glancing over, wondering when she would have his full attention. Although, she didn't know she especially wanted it. Those blue eyes seemed to see into the soul.

When he fixed them on her, it was all she could do not to take a step back, and she barely heard him ask how she was feeling while she tried to steady herself.

"Quite fine, sir," she lied.

He smiled, and she knew he knew she was lying, but she did not offer to amend her statement.

"Contracts are a very stressful thing," he said gently. "Every student handles the predicament differently, and much depends on the nature of the arrangement. Yours is rather…unique, of course." Rohesia hummed her agreement. She'd never heard of such a horrendous influx in her lifetime. "If you should need a neutral party to speak to, even if you want to speak about something else, or nothing at all, please know I am ever at your disposal. I can only imagine how things have changed in your life, and I know how much you value your education. We certainly do not want the other stresses to negatively impact your schoolwork."

"No, certainly not," she said, thinking of Alphard. Normally, when she wanted to talk of nothing at all, she turned to him, but he almost seemed to be part of the problem, now. In his own way, of course. Alphard was never like anyone else. "Thank you very much for the offer, sir. I will consider it."

He said she was free to go, and on her way out, a thought tickled at her, and she paused, turning back to look at her teacher.

"Sir," she said, "I was wondering, what do you think is the most important thing in a marriage? Only when I look at the stack of offers, I don't know where to begin."

He smiled at her, a sad sort of smile full of memories and regrets adults sometimes had. She hoped she never had a smile like that.

"I think you do, my dear, and it is not on those stacks of paper you must sift through. The most important thing is love, of course."

"Yes," she said, frowning. "Yes, I was afraid you were going to say that."

She thanked him again before he could ask what she meant, and she hurried out of his classroom, feeling a horrible kind of twisting in her stomach as she thought of Alphard's strange question – if someone she loved did not submit a contract…. How impossible!

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Magnus watched Alphard with concern. His best friend was sitting in the window at the Charms courtyard, smoking a cigarette into the cold air and not bothering to hide it. A teacher could pass at any time, and it was as if he didn't care. Magnus sat beside her, watching Alphard smoke, frowning.

"You didn't put your name in," Magnus said softly. "Did your family not let you?"

Alphard stared at the courtyard with unseeing eyes before he said softly, "Something like that."

Magnus hummed, frowning at the cigarettes. They were disgusting things. They smelled disgusting. The few times Alphard convinced him to try, they tasted disgusting. He couldn't understand what it was about Alphard that drew him into habits gross and base habits. Alphard insisted he was just having fun, that these things were all fun for him, but Magnus wasn't so sure it wasn't something else. A dash of rebellion, perhaps. Something he could do that was bold enough to be despised without getting him kicked out of the family completely.

"So, if you're not going to marry Rohesia Fawley like the rest of us," Magnus teased, "who are you going to marry?"

"I'm not," Alphard said quickly, maybe too quickly. "I'm never going to marry, Magnus. A bachelor's life for me, forever. But what about you lot?"

"How d'you mean?"

"Well," Alphard said, tapping his cigarette, watching ash from the end tumble to the ground, "she can't marry everyone who put in a contract. So, what are you going to do if she doesn't pick you? I mean, have you got a Plan B?"

"Oh, sure," Magnus said with a shrug. "Isabel's pretty Maybe Iseut, although she's not the best looking. Wouldn't touch Aldise with a ten-foot pole, she's so needy. Might do the old-fashioned thing, wait five years and see what's turning out then. But I'll be bloody miserable, naturally. Everyone who doesn't get her will be."

Alphard hummed, and Magnus wondered if those words were really true. Magnus, Orion, they would be gutted, of course. But many of the others might have more of wounded pride, something that could be got over when another eligible bride was found and married. Those were the sorts of slights easily forgiven with time. Another day, another challenge.

But never to marry? Magnus couldn't understand why Alphard was insisting on something so absurd. Perhaps another act of rebellion, like he was mad about someone totally unsuitable and instead of leaving the family, he just wasn't going to marry. Pollux Black would let him do it, especially as everyone knew Cygnus would marry well. But if Orion ever decided on such a thing, Arcturus would probably have fits, force him into a marriage, and disown him if he tried to leave.

Lucky for everyone, Orion was never the type to try such a thing.

"Are you sure you don't want one?" Alphard asked. He took a long drag of his cigarette and gestured with it that he was referring to the disgusting thing.

"Quite sure," Magnus said tightly, frowning at the thing, wishing he understood his strange friend just a bit better.

/-/

Cygnus was worried about his brother. It wasn't as though he had a problem with Alphard's choice not to pursue Rohesia – after all, it would be awkward to have two contract requests from the Black family – but he did have a problem with Alphard not being happy, and even though Alphard was the one who asked not to put his name forward, it was clear he wasn't happy, and the more time he spent around Rohesia, particularly alone, the less happy he seemed. He might have asked Orion about it, but Orion was likely part of the problem.

It was all silliness to Cygnus. Sure, Rohesia was beautiful, but he vastly preferred Druella. But then, as Alphard frequently teased, Cygnus had a type. It would always have had to have married Druella or Isabel, and Druella caught his eye early and never let it go. And mercifully, she seemed to like him, too.

"Hey," Cygnus said, sitting next to his brother on a snow-covered courtyard bench. "Why didn't you warm it?" he added with a slight yelp, realizing his brother was sitting in the cold.

"Why, is it bothering you?" Alphard said with a smirk, before tapping his wand to the side of the bench, warming and drying the surface they were sitting on, and adding an extra wave of heat to dry Cygnus's bum.

Cheeky.

"Sometimes I wonder why I try worrying about you," Cygnus growled. "You can be so obnoxious."

"Now, why on earth are you worrying about me, brother?" Alphard said, his voice stiff. "You know I can't be bothered about my NEWTs."

"So, what are you going to do about your life, when you get out?" Cygnus said with a smirk. "You've no interest in politics. You don't care about society. And now Magnus tells me you're not even looking to get married."

"Stop it," Alphard said, standing abruptly, his nostrils twitching and flaring. "What I do is my business, and always will be. Don't worry, I won't interfere with your life if you don't want me to."

"Alphard."

"Just let me enjoy the end of my time here, will you?" Alphard said, folding his arms across his chest, frowning at something that passed the courtyard, but when Cygnus glanced back over his shoulder, whatever Alphard frowned at was gone.

Cygnus looked back and Alphard, who was now looking at his shoes, kicking at a bit of snow gathered near the foot of the bench.

"But that's the problem," Cygnus said softly. "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself at all."

Alphard's eyes darkened and his mouth turned down as he considered the statement. Then, softly, he said, "Your love life is all bliss, and I hope it stays that way, but one thing I think you will never understand is there is an excruciatingly thin line between pleasure and pain, and I intend to ride that line, the rest of my life if necessary. Come what may."

 **A/N: So, contracts have rolled in, Alphard is committed to life as a bachelor, and Rohesia seeks direction in her task of choosing a husband.**

 **Review Prompt: What do you think Dumbledore's interest in Rohesia and her prospects is?**

 **Q &A: No questions for this part yet, but please feel free to ask anything!**

 **Cheers!**

 **C**


	3. Unquenchable

**A/N: Here is your regular weekly update!**

 **-C**

Randolph Lestrange arrived promptly to the Easter event, finding Hankin Greengrass in a corner. He greeted his friend and asked who had arrived, adjusting his robes and scanning the room.

"The Blacks will be here shortly, I expect," Hankin muttered. "The two main sets, anyway. I don't know about the rest. Yaxleys are here. Selwyns just arrived."

"You know what I want to know," Randolph said coldly, and Hankin's lips twitched.

"Fawleys haven't arrived," Hankin said. "Issy said apparently Rohesia is not looking forward to being rushed at like a prime steak."

Randolph hummed, his eyes finding Isabel Greengrass and Aldise Yaxley, standing alone. They often stood alone, when Rohesia was away with someone else, or when Alphard Black was stealing her attention.

"Have you submitted an offer?" Randolph asked, adjusting his cuff links.

"Yeah," Hankin said, shrugging, "but I know I haven't got a chance. I haven't nearly as much to offer as you and Magnus and Orion, and I certainly know she doesn't like me. I mean, she doesn't dislike me, but I'll always be the quiet older brother of her best friend. I don't think she's ever seen me as anything else but that. Not really marriage material, is it?"

"Depends on the marriage," Randolph said, but he silently agreed with his friend. It seemed more than unlikely Hankin might marry the most coveted bride in their era.

There was an arrival, but it was not the Fawleys, but the Blacks – both sets. Randolph narrowed his eyes as he watched the posture of Orion Black, who was certainly the most self-conscious of the three Blacks. Alphard had confidence and grace, but he seemed in the same dark mood he'd had since Hogwarts came back in session. And Cygnus was oblivious to the tension in the room around him. As usual.

"Walburga has been in a very sour mood," Hankin said softly. "Isabel says she learned from Cygnus that Walburga is utterly opposed to Rohesia marrying her cousin, doesn't want her to become a Black. And you know, she's got Arcturus's ear."

Randolph smiled. He'd never liked Walburga but perhaps…they might be useful to each other.

/-/

Druella was standing with Cygnus when Rohesia Fawley arrived, and she couldn't help smiling when she realized how the only male in the room whose eyes didn't turn to the late arrival was the one talking to her. She was incredibly lucky, really, and she did not envy at all Rohesia's plight the way some girls did. What good was there, being a piece of meat, torn every which way by lustful and greedy males?

"Poor thing," Druella said softly, sighing.

"What?"

"Rohesia," she said, nodding toward the girl, who was trying to gracefully move from the entry to where Aldise and Isabel were entertaining an impatient Alphard. "Look, she can't take three steps without being stopped and greeted and kissed on the hand. Did your brother put in a contract offer?"

"No," Cygnus said, frowning at Rohesia as she greeted Alphard, who instantly brightened in her presence. "My cousin did."

Druella didn't ask why, but she thought it was a shame. Rohesia was beautiful and pleasant always, but she seemed her most beautiful, most pleased when she was with Alphard.

/-/

Abraxas Malfoy smirked as he kissed Rohesia's hand, watching her confusion.

"No, I did not put in a contract," Abraxas said, smirking. "And I have no intention of doing so. My father might put it in, for the look of the thing, but I'd be far from offended if you tossed it out first thing. But I wanted a word with you, and I thought perhaps I could be a useful neutral party in your…predicament."

"Hardly neutral," she said, trying to sound unconcerned. "You want to tell me to marry Randolph because he's your best friend."

"Ah, and your best option," he said, smiling. "Well, now the plug is done, I wanted to ask you about Miss Greengrass. She is not…promised to anyone yet, do you know?"

To his pleasant surprised, Rohesia grinned, looking over to his shoulder to where Abraxas assumed Isabel was with a friend. Aldise Yaxley, probably.

"I can tell you there's no arrangement or understanding with anyone," she said with a sly smile. "And I want to ask you something, and you must swear to me it stays between us. None of your friends will know."

He nodded, deciding he'd done his due diligence where Randolph was concerned.

She hesitated before she whispered, "Alphard hasn't put in a contract and I wondered…well, is there someone else he's looking at?"

Abraxas frowned, glancing over to Alphard, who was watching them. From what he'd heard from Magnus, it was a matter of self-sacrifice for the family good. Poor chap.

"As far as I am aware," he said silkily, "Alphard Black is intending to be a bachelor, perhaps forever. But if you wanted my guess on things, he only has eyes for you."

She clearly could not understand why Alphard would do this, and she shook her head, frowning, puzzled. Perhaps Alphard would yet change his mind, but Abraxas doubted it very much.

/-/

Dionisia Rowle stood with her best friend, Iseut Travers, and they watched their classmate, Rohesia Fawley as she seemed to glide from male to male, all of them wanting her attention, trying to court her. Rohesia seemed to handle it all with grace, but she was clearly growing irritated.

"I don't know what she's got to be upset about," Iseut sighed. "I'd kill for so many attractive, wealthy men to look at me."

Dionisia quite agreed.

/-/

Orion could feel his hands shaking as he crossed to Rohesia and, for the first time in his life, asked her to dance. He thought the words came out tight and fumbling, nothing like his cousin's ease and confidence, but she agreed to the dance, and he felt a bit taller, leading her out to the dancefloor, taking her waist and standing so close to her. Those brown eyes were soft and beautiful, and Orion could scarcely breathe as he thought how someday, she could be his wife.

"I was mildly surprised to see your proposal in the stack," she said, smiling at him. "You hardly ever speak to me."

"It's hard to get a word in," he said, shrugging and trying to be cool and collected. "With all the other blokes trying. And it's always tough to squeeze in when Alphard's around."

She shrugged and said, "Quiet can be good. At least you don't say too much."

He smiled, thinking of all the things he could have said, about rather showing how he felt instead of saying it, but they sounded like his cousin, not him, and he simply enjoyed the dance. Hopefully, he would have time to prove to her he was the right choice, which might be easier when they were the oldest group at Hogwarts, and all his most serious rivals were graduated.

/-/

Rohesia slipped into the music room about halfway through the night, where Isabel's mother was volunteering to help out, taking care of the very young children. Rohesia asked if she could simply sit in the quiet for a while, and Madam Greengrass smiled, knowingly, and said it was fine.

Rohesia was surprised, however, when Alphard followed her not a moment later, sitting not on a chair, but at her feet, scooping one of the very small children onto his lap. She smiled a little as he played a game with the child, which couldn't be more than a year and a half in age. The child giggled and gurgled pleasantly.

"Never thought you'd be the type to like children," she said softly, letting her fingers graze the top of his hair as she shifted, leaning closer. His hair was so unbelievably soft, like a cloud. "It's very…cute."

"Oh, yeah," he said, laughing and shrugging. "That's me. Cute and all."

"I've heard a rumor that you're planning to be a bachelor forever."

"Oh, sure," he said, his voice going tight. "Why not? It'll probably be fun. And before you go saying I won't have any kids if I'm a bachelor, you forget bastard children of illicit affairs."

"Alphard," Madam Greengrass said sternly, and he winked at her.

"Apologies, Madam," he said, pressing a tender kiss to the child's forehead. The child giggled, reaching up and holding his face with pudgy fingers. "What about you, darling?" he said, letting the back of a finger caress the soft cheek of the child that had grown instantly fond of him. "Planning on having a whole menagerie of children all your own?"

"I haven't really thought, to tell you the truth," she said, boldly letting her fingers dive into his hair, feeling the beautiful softness. "Perhaps I'll have a child or two."

She was mildly surprised as he leaned back, closing his eyes, his mouth opening slightly. He seemed to be enjoying her fingers in his hair, so she continued to massage his scalp. She held her breath for a moment, wondering what he was thinking, and she felt a small flutter in her chest as he opened his eyes, looking up at her almost hazily, his usually bright and sharp gray eyes staring up at her glazed and muted. His breathing had changed, and she wondered again what he was thinking as he stared at her.

The child had scrambled off his lap and Alphard had shifted so he was on his knees, looking up at her, but Rohesia continued to pet his hair, finding her own breathing difficult. He took her free hand and kissed it, staring at her the whole time, and she had a wild urge to embrace him, to taste his lips and know what it was like to be kissed. She also wanted to hit him, to ask him why he would make her feel so wonderful whenever they were together, and then not put in a contract for marriage. It seemed beastly of him, and she just didn't understand.

"I think you two ought to return to the party," Madam Greengrass said sternly. "If you're not going to play with the children, it's for the best."

Rohesia didn't think it was for the best, anything that meant not being alone with Alphard, but he sighed with a kind of despairing disappointment and he kissed Rohesia's hand again, swiftly, before standing.

"Right as always, Madam Greengrass," he said, with a tight smile. "It is, I suppose, for the best."

There seemed to be an impossible weight on those words, and Rohesia stood when he offered her a hand, standing just a bit closer to him than she ought to.

"Will you dance with me, when we go back?" she asked, her voice sounding small in her own ears, quite unlike what she was used to hearing.

"If you wish," he said softly.

Again, weighted with unspoken words, and she wanted him to keep speaking. She wanted him to say that he wanted to dance with her the whole night, that he wanted to be alone with her forever, that he wanted to marry her. Or at least she wanted him to say why he wouldn't say these things. Anything to make sense out of the muddle she felt.

"You…don't mind that I might marry your cousin?" she said softly, testing the waters.

Madam Greengrass coughed.

"I care only for your happiness," Alphard said, his eyes dull, now, and dark.

It had to be a lie, of course, because he must know she wasn't happy without his name on the table.

/-/

Magnus watched a wall seem to go up between his best friend and Rohesia Fawley at the Easter event, as men seemed to fall over themselves to get close enough to Rohesia to state their case. Magnus couldn't discern how Rohesia reacted to this wall, but he could see pain behind Alphard's eyes, so he almost thought it was her doing when he found Alphard smoking a cigarette in the garden.

"You alright, mate?" Magnus asked.

"Fine," Alphard lied, his jaw twitching. But he was clearly not fine. He'd danced with Rohesia earlier, still as natural and beautiful together as ever, but Magnus had noticed that Alphard wasn't holding her as close as usual, and his eyes were too serious, his lips devoid of a smile. Perhaps he hadn't smiled all night.

"She looks beautiful."

Alphard's nostril's twitched and Magnus knew he'd hit the raw spot.

"Look, if you want to talk about her," Alphard said, his voice tight and strained, "you go back in there and wax lyrical to my cousin. I came out here to escape all that."

Magnus said nothing for a long time, realizing Alphard was hanging on to his composure by a thread. When the cigarette was half-gone, Alphard tossed it on the ground, stamping on it, and pacing wildly across the patio.

"I don't want to be here," he said, with the frenetic tension of a caged animal. "I can't go back in that ballroom. I might do something…something…" He tugged slightly at his hair. "Orion can offer her more."

Magnus's eyes widened and he realized this was the wall. Alphard was creating distance to make it easier, possibly for both him and Rohesia, that he wasn't even trying to marry her. He was making Orion's way easier, as much as it was ripping Alphard apart. And while Magnus knew his own chances were multiplied astronomically with Alphard off the table, he couldn't help thinking this couldn't be good for anyone, to have Alphard and Rohesia thus separated. She might be alright, but he was in very clear agony.

"Maybe she doesn't care," Magnus said softly. "Not every woman is out for the best financial offer."

"It's not about money," Alphard said, frustrated. "It's about opportunities. Don't you see, Magnus? Rohesia's not just a society lady. She's brilliant. I've never met a woman with a mind like that. And she'll never be able to have an occupation. Half-bloods, Mudbloods, they can do whatever they want with their lives, but she's going to be locked up in some grand house or other for the rest of her life. Orion will have the properties, the options. She'll rule the house, be able to arrange his life and occupations, and he'd be thrilled to have the direction. I can't give her the library or the vaults or the choices he can, or even that you can! What does it matter how I feel if she's miserable?"

Magnus said nothing, frowning at his fingers. He wanted to ask whether Alphard had ever thought to lay down this for Rohesia to make her own choice, but in the end, Magnus made the selfish choice and said nothing. As miserable as Alphard would clearly be, perhaps for the rest of his life, it only improved Magnus's odds. And he so wanted to marry Rohesia Fawley.

/-/

Randolph managed to coax Rohesia into a dance, wearing down her mild distraction and lack of general interest in dancing toward the end of the event, and he enjoyed how small she was in his arms. She seemed fragile, moldable, breakable – which was thrilling to him. She kept glancing over his shoulder toward the gardens, and he had a few guesses why she might be thus distracted, but he asked her a very simple question and suddenly had her whole attention.

How are your projects going?

Her eyes lit up at the reminder of her course projects, and he knew he'd hit the right note to gain her consideration. Randolph was not so old-fashioned that he would only want his wife to be interested in drawing, painting, tea with other society ladies, fashion…. If Rohesia wanted to study Transfiguration or Charms in her own time, that was her business. Provided it didn't interfere with her other duties. If anything, it would allow her to teach their children the basics from a young age, so they might outclass their peers.

After all, her talent and magical strength was half of why he wanted her. No other woman he knew would be suitable for breeding the best possible magical cores for his children.

"Are you sure you want the stresses of combining the two projects?" he said, as he pulled her closer. If she noticed, she didn't object, and if she would have objected, she clearly didn't notice. "There is certainly merit to the work, but if they do end up dovetailing, you'll have quite a mess on your hands, and not a great deal of time to salvage it."

"I'm confident," she said, her chin jutting up, and he tried not to smile.

She most certainly was.

She smelled lovely, and Randolph fought the urge to pull her closer, breathe her in, and he felt her body tense in his arms as she glanced over his shoulder again. He casually glanced at the gardens and saw Alphard Black coming in with Magnus Selwyn, and he felt a wave of anger and disgust.

Always Alphard. No matter what, her attention was always with Alphard.

/-/

At the end of the event, Isabel pulled Rohesia off to the side while people were gathering their cloaks and saying their farewells, and she saw Alphard's eyes scanning the room, probably for Rohesia.

"Is everything alright?" Isabel asked her best friend, seeing a kind of closed look in her friend's eyes. "Is everything…?"

She shook her head slightly in lieu of shrugging, and Rohesia sighed, glancing at Alphard whose eyes seemed to meet hers at that very moment.

"No," Rohesia whispered. "But it is what it is, I suppose. It's stupid, really. I've spent a couple of years now being told I have everything one could ever want, especially by Aldise, but the one thing I think I actually want…."

Isabel bit the inside of her lip, not wanting to bite down on her lip. She glanced at Alphard, who was still watching Rohesia from across the area, but not crossing, not even moving in their direction.

She wanted to tell Rohesia it would be fine, that things would work out for the best, that either Alphard would come to his senses or the man she married would be better than Alphard, anyway.

But she hated to lie, so she squeezed her friend's hand gently and said nothing.

 **A/N: So, Rohesia has her first event after the contracts roll in, Alphard is having a hard time with keeping his distance, and Abraxas has an interest in Isabel.**

 **Review Prompt: Who wants to lay bets on what Randolph's early-stage plan is to get Rohesia to marry him?**

 **Q &A:**

 **Q: Are Rohesia and Alphard going to end up together, or will you follow the canon where he doesn't marry? (Tingting26021996)**

 **A: First of all, thank you for asking the first question, Tingting! It's a great one. I don't consider this a spoiler, but for this prequel to fit the rest of the series, it has to stick to canon in pretty much all aspects. Timelines, marriages, etc. Now, just because Rohesia and Alphard don't marry doesn't mean they can't have a romance.** **We're laying out all the players in her very complicated love life, from Alphard to Orion, from Randolph to Magnus. For those who saw Rohesia as an adult in Part One, in her one scene, you might not even have recognized this confident, intelligent, powerful young woman as the woman who tells Dorcas about Barty by explaining her own situation. This story is the transformation from Rohesia as we see her here to Rohesia as we'll see her there.**

 **Cheers!**

 **C**


	4. Examination

**A/N: Here is your regular weekly update! Hope you're all having a great weekend when you read this, and maybe you're enjoying Wimbledon like I am? :D**

 **-C**

Hankin Greengrass stood outside the second-floor classroom, waiting anxiously for his very first NEWT exam – his Charms practical. He watched his classmates as the whole group waited (as most of the year continued in Charms) for their turns to either dazzle or make fools of themselves. Hankin had a feeling he would be in the fool category, but Randolph was relaxed against the stone wall of the corridor, looking not at all bothered by a thing, and Abraxas was actually sitting on the floor, picking lazily at a small scab on his left knuckle.

Magnus, though, looked a bit sick as he waited, and Hankin had a feeling Magnus was feeling a lot of what Hankin was feeling.

The door opened and Alphard strolled out, unconcerned, totally unfazed by whatever ordeal he'd just undergone.

"Well?" Magnus prompted, his voice tight as a girl from Ravenclaw was called in to make up the numbers. "How was it?"

"Oh, it was fine," Alphard said with a shrug. "Hey, who wants to sneak down to Hogsmeade for lunch?"

Magnus made a small sound almost like a whimper and Hankin forced out a nervous laugh to keep from letting a strangled sob escape from the base of his throat.

After lunch was their Charms written exam, and that might end up being worse than even the practical. Hankin didn't know how he was going to survive two weeks of exams, but Alphard would certainly be completely unruffled by the end. Hankin had forgotten his classmate's uncanny ability to remember absolutely everything he heard or read, and reproduce nearly any spell with minimal effort.

Of course NEWTs would be nothing to him. Everything was nothing to him.

/-/

Sixth year exams began on Tuesday morning, and Oliver Nott waited in the corridor outside Defense Against the Dark Arts, waiting for Professor Merrythought to call them in.

"I don't think it's very fair," he said, rubbing his forehead as Adam Rosier flicked a small stone around on the floor.

"What's not fair?" Adam asked lazily.

"Rohesia Fawley being in our year," Oliver said, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the wall. "The only Slytherin girl to continue in half the courses we continued, and she's pummeling us in all of them."

"I think Orion's beating her in something," Adam said, still flicking the stone around. "Not Defense. Was it…Arithmancy?"

"Runes," he said with a sigh. "He's topping the year in Runes, and they're one and two in Transfiguration. I think they're a handful of points apart, so whoever tops the exams…. I reckon it'll be Orion. He's not bothered by exams."

"Neither is she."

Oliver grinned and opened his eyes again.

"No, I heard her telling Isabel, she sicks up before every practical. I mean, she's probably still brilliant, but it makes her anxious. Orion and Cygnus and Alphard, they're just unnatural."

Adam hummed, obviously not caring. Orion and Cygnus and Rohesia had all finished already, and gone to lunch. Adam would be the last to go in, so Oliver supposed his friend wasn't interested in small-talk. He was probably thinking about food.

/-/

Iseut Travers stood with Aldise Yaxley, waiting for the very small group to get through their Divination NEWTs.

"What if we fail this exam?" Aldise said anxiously. "I mean, I'm not taking very many courses, and I don't know how one can justify repeating a year of Divination."

"One doesn't need to justify," Iseut sniffed. "One doesn't need any courses. Have you had any contract offers?"

Aldise sniffed without really answering, but Iseut knew this meant there had been none as yet. Of course, once Rohesia began turning down the offers she had, men would start looking in other directions and Aldise would certainly have an offer or two.

"I think I'm close to one from Hankin," Iseut said. "I mean, there's no way Rohesia's going to pick him, so I've got a shot. Adam's sister is lucky, though. Getting the attention of a Black so early, not having to worry about Rohesia."

Aldise hummed and said, "Yes, but it's not _the_ Black."

"Do you mean Orion or Alphard?

Aldise didn't answer, just smirked, and Iseut assumed that Aldise had purposefully suggested both. Alphard might not have put in his name for a contract, but he was clearly eating out of the palm of Rohesia's hand, and Orion seemed to stand a good chance of winning the prize, if he could stop tripping over his own tongue and properly speak to her.

"Miss Travers!"

The voice of their teacher floated down, calling in Iseut after a Hufflepuff girl stumbled down the ladder, whimpering in what was probably utter failure.

Not a great vote of confidence, Iseut thought, but she ascended, anyway.

/-/

Tom Riddle had a short wait until his former classmates snuck out of Hogwarts for an evening meeting in Hogsmeade – Randolph and Abraxas – and he listened to the gossip of people around him. Apparently, the whole of the wizarding world had their eyes on the most eligible marriage contract battle in decades, Miss Rohesia Fawley. Tom's lip curled in derision, thinking of the young lady in question. Attractive, yes. Intelligent, certainly. Impeccably pure of blood. She had been a new Prefect while he was Head Boy, and she had been apt and adept in all her duties.

But when he heard the list of people who had put in contract requests and heard Randolph Lestrange had apparently put his name forward, Tom frowned. The last thing he needed was for his followers to be distracted. He certainly hoped, whatever came of the contract request, that Randolph was thinking in practical and not emotional terms. How unproductive it would be, for one of his most useful followers to fall in love, even with someone such as Rohesia Fawley.

/-/

Thursday morning, Orion had his Herbology exam. He'd never been as natural at Herbology as Alphard, but he was quite good. Not a large group of students had elected to continue the course, and among those who had, Rohesia was easily the top of the year. But even she paled in comparison with Alphard's natural flair for the subject. Orion watched her work, constantly finding himself distracted from his own plants.

She wore her hair up, for both Herbology and Potions, and Orion liked to look at her neck, imagining pressing worshipful kisses along the smooth, pale column of pristine flesh. He wondered if it was cool and soft as it looked.

"Twenty minutes remaining," the teacher said, and Orion's eyes snapped back down to his own plants.

Well, he would pass, but he wouldn't be winning any awards. His Venemous Tentacula was well-tended, but he had a few plants looking less than their perky best, and he had seen several students with more perfectly bedded plots than his, including Rohesia. Her plants wanted to grow for her, and his seemed indifferent to his fate. Potions would certainly be a similar disaster – comparatively speaking – because he had no natural flair for the subject, and he was always caught up watching her work, her hair up, her whole body seeming to be involved in a complicated dance of brewing.

He shook his head sharply, trying to clear his thoughts. If he could only get through the next few weeks, he would have weeks at a time without her intoxicating and distracting presence, and he could focus on his summer studying, the only time he could manage to read and learn, because with Rohesia in the room, he was utterly hopeless.

Just a few more weeks, he told himself as he cleaned up the bed around the Venemous Tentacula, which was not pleased with being disturbed. He inhaled sharply, glad that the London property didn't have a garden. He wasn't in France often enough to ever need to worry about the garden. When he finished his NEWTs, he would never have to care for a plant again.

/-/

As soon as the written Defense Against the Dark Arts exam let out, Alphard walked out onto the Hogwarts lawn and froze at the sight of Rohesia sitting with Isabel and Aldise, laying on the grass in elegant but seasonal robes, probably running over material for an upcoming exam. He pulled a cigarette out of his case and lit it, watching her lean back and arch her back to stretch. He inhaled the smoke, feeling a slight burn as he drew it into his lungs. It was a bad idea, but he wanted to cross the lawn and speak to them, have an excuse to sit with her, be near her, maybe kiss her hand and breathe her in.

But he couldn't, so he leaned against the wall of the school, watching her, when Magnus came out and leaned against the wall beside him.

"You should enjoy the sun," Magnus said, rubbing the bridge of his nose, frowning out at the lake. "It's our last May at Hogwarts. We could wade in the lake, like we used to."

"I'm not thirteen anymore," Alphard said coldly. "But if you want to, you go."

Magnus didn't move, simply stood in silence as Alphard too a few more drags off his cigarette. Rohesia was laughing about something, her smile brilliant even from the distance. He wanted to close his eyes and picture the way she'd smiled at Christmas, before everything became such a mess. But if he closed his eyes, he couldn't watch her.

"Some days, Magnus," Alphard whispered, "I feel like a king."

"You practically are," Magnus said, the smile obvious in his voice without Alphard looking away from Rohesia. "Wealthy, well-connected, attractive, intelligent. You could have anything you wanted in life."

"Not anything," Alphard said, slamming his cigarette into the wall of the school, feeling a wave of nausea at the thought of Rohesia marrying someone else, anyone else. Orion would be one thing, but if he didn't win her over? Even Magnus would be almost unbearable, but at least he knew Magnus would treat her like a queen. That couldn't be said of everyone in their world. "And lately I've simply felt like…someone passing through my own life. What's tomorrow?"

"Just Runes."

Alphard hummed, toying with the idea of another cigarette as he watched Rohesia be approached by some boy from Ravenclaw. She was polite – she was always polite – but she was cold and detached, and the boy got the hint quickly.

She'd never been cold with Alphard. Warm. He'd always thought her warm, and he'd craved to know what it would be like to touch her skin, kiss the hollow of her throat, whisper how perfect she was against the inside of her elbow. He knew he was in love with her before he understood what love was, had a physical ache for her before he had an inkling about sexuality.

And she would belong to someone else.

"I'm going inside," Alphard said tightly.

"You sure?"

"Positive. If you see my cousin, tell him I want to see him tomorrow after dinner."

"Tomorrow? Why don't you tell him?"

"Because I'm going to drink myself into oblivion tonight, and I won't be able to have coherent conversation with anyone for a while."

"Alphard." Alphard began going back to the steps. "Alphard, what about dinner?"

"Food's overrated," Alphard snapped, feeling several degrees colder now Rohesia wasn't in his line of sight.

/-/

The following morning, Magnus tried not to have any sympathy for Alphard at breakfast, but Alphard had an ability to be so pitiful when he was miserable that it was hard not to sympathize with his hangover.

"One of these days," he said, "you're going to kill yourself."

"Probably," Alphard said with a bitter smile. "But I intend to enjoy myself before I do."

Magnus wanted to ask if Alphard had enjoyed himself the night before, but it seemed too cheeky with the horrible state Alphard had been in for months, now. Magnus glanced down the table to where Rohesia sat, glowing and confident as always, and frowned slightly, wondering how it was that so many people he knew could be completely cool and collected in the face of exams.

"How can she be so beautiful when I'm a mess?" Alphard snorted.

Magnus blinked, looking over his best friend. A mess was not how he would have described Alphard, who looked – despite his hangover – like his usual fresh, vital, virile self, confident and upright, even managing his usual bored sneer despite his splitting headache.

"She didn't spend the morning vomiting," Magnus offered, shrugging.

"She did," Alphard said, a twinkle of a smile at the corner of his lips. "She hates exams, sicks up for hours before breakfast. She'll probably sick up between breakfast and exams. And somehow she still looks exquisite."

Magnus began to doubt his own bloodlines. The Blacks, Rohesia, Abraxas and Randolph, they all managed to be impeccable at all times, and while Magnus would have deemed himself more than moderately attractive, he never quite managed the levels of perfection Alphard had.

Alphard checked his watch.

"They'll be cleaning this up for the fifth years soon," he said. "We should go upstairs. You sure you don't have any more of that stuff for the hangovers?"

Magnus shook his head – a little lie. It wouldn't hurt Alphard's testing anyway, but it might be good for him to have some consequences to his actions for once. Not that it would change anything, but he might slow down a bit on the drinks next time.

As they finished their pumpkin juice and Alphard frowned down the table to where Rohesia was combing her hair off her neck with her fingers, Magnus wanted to tell him it would all be better in a few weeks, that they would have space away from her and Alphard wouldn't have to see her all the time, everywhere he turned.

But Magnus wasn't sure if that would make things better or worse. Somehow, it seemed more than possible that Alphard would only get worse without being near her every day, like a dog pining for its owner.

Instead, Magnus asked if Alphard remembered what the protocol was for dealing with hag bites, and Alphard rolled his eyes before rattling off a list. Magnus had remembered the list – albeit not in the right order – but it was good to get Alphard thinking and talking about something, anything else.

They waited outside the room until the examiners told them to enter, and they sat next to each other, Alphard stretching as he situated himself in the seat while Magnus picked up the quill, priming it with ink and checking how many as-yet blank sheets were before them. Seven.

A long morning, he thought bitterly.

/-/

Midnight Friday, the sixth year students climbed the stairs to the Astronomy tower, and Cygnus listened to exam instructions as he set up his telescope. Nothing too strenuous, and Orion was clearly confident, but Rohesia was anxious in the corner. Cygnus wondered which one of them was going to top the year in Astronomy, as it certainly wouldn't be him. He didn't care about it, despite his family's insistence he learn it well.

Not like he would use it for anything, and if he followed in family naming tradition, he could just pull a star chart out of a library and pick a name.

"I wish I'd just slept through it," he muttered to Orion. "If I fail it, I don't have to take the course again. I need my beauty sleep."

Orion snorted and said, "Nothing is going to make you more beautiful, Cygnus. You might as well take the course."

Cygnus smirked and fell silent under a stern look from their teacher. She wasn't especially intimidating, but Cygnus knew it was best to respect people in those sorts of positions. Even if she didn't have the power to make him miserable – because he really didn't care about failing the course – he did worry that his father would have her job if he found out why Cygnus failed.

As if it were her fault, and not Cygnus's. But his father had Dippet and all the governors in his pocket, and there was no point pressing fate.

"Begin," they were told, and Cygnus began his charting according to the given starting coordinates, stifling a yawn as he worked.

/-/

Late into the second week of exams, into on a Thursday morning before Transfiguration, Alphard stopped Isabel in the corridor, his eyes with a wildness in them she wasn't used to. He was always so composed, so charming, so perfectly befitting of his station. Concerned, Isabel followed him into the empty classroom he gestured to without question or hesitation.

"How is she?" he asked, rubbing his jaw with an open palm.

"Sorry?"

"Anxiety," he said, closing his eyes.

"Oh, she's alright," Isabel said with a shrug. "You know how it is. I think the sicking up is more ritual than anything else at this point. That's not why you flagged me down."

"No," he said with a soft, bitter laugh. "No, I…. I've the morning off. Astronomy in the afternoon and night. But I needed to ask you to do something for me. She trusts you and even if I still had her trust right now, I wouldn't know how to say this to her."

Isabel narrowed her eyes but said nothing, waiting for his request.

"The contracts," he said, rubbing his forehead like he had a particularly bad headache. "I don't know where she stands or how she's leaning or if she's even given it much serious thought. Most of them are terrible fits."

"I know," she said softly, very concerned about his health. "You should see Madam Parker."

"Magnus wouldn't be terrible," he said, as though he hadn't heard her. "But Orion, Issy. My cousin is really the best option on the table, the only real option. You see? And he adores her, but he trips over his own tongue."

Isabel wouldn't argue. Orion was quite sweet, in his way, but he had the misfortune of being Alphard's cousin. He'd never catch attention with Alphard in the picture.

"Help him, if you can," Alphard said softly. "I've done all I know how to do. I don't care how you do it, but I want her to have every possible happiness in the world, and I truly believe that marrying Orion is the only way. Do you see?"

She didn't see. What she didn't understand was why he hadn't put his own name in, why he couldn't seem to see that Rohesia adored him. Was it possible, Isabel wondered, that Alphard didn't feel that way about Rohesia? That perhaps he loved her as a sister or close friend, but couldn't see himself married to her?

"I…I will try," she said slowly. "But I can't make promises, Alphard."

He smiled a tight, pained smile and said, "It's all I can ask, Isabel."

Then he kissed her hand with his soft, warm lips, in that regal way of his, and he walked away as though he'd showed no sign of suffering.

What an enigma.

 **A/N: So, exams move forward, Tom Riddle is on the scene, and Alphard is making every effort to ensure his cousin wins Rohesia.**

 **Review Prompt: Do you think Riddle's concerns are founded?**

 **Q &A: I have no current questions for this part! Ask me anything, and I swear I'll answer. Anything at all!**

 **Cheers,**

 **C**


	5. One More Day

**A/N: Sorry this regular weekly update is running late! I've had a bit of craziness, between school and my niece's presence and such. Should be smoother next week. Cheers!**

 **-C**

The final feast was a welcome thing, and Aldise sat between Isabel and Rohesia, relieved to go home for a while and not worry about revising for anything. She was sick of the sound of Rohesia retching, and it would be nice to be the center of attention for a while, as she was her father's little princess, and sometimes it felt Rohesia was everybody else's princess.

"Top of the year?" Isabel asked, playing the guessing game she and Rohesia tried to rope Aldise into every year. The previous year was simple, as Tom Riddle had been by far the most promising in the bunch. But this year was more difficult.

"Erm, tough one," Rohesia said, frowning up the table toward some of the students in their year. "There's that bloke in Ravenclaw, erm, Clearwater? He's possible. Randolph. And…"

She nibbled on her lip and frowned at Alphard.

If Rohesia weren't…Rohesia, Aldise would likely feel sorry for her. But it was hard to feel sorry for someone who had practically every eligible bachelor at her beck and call. Still, whatever was going on between her and Alphard Black, it was a painful thing to watch.

"My money's on Alphard," Isabel said firmly. "Although Clearwater's a good option. I really don't think Randolph cared much. Then again, Alphard didn't really care about his exams, either."

Of course, it wasn't any of the above who topped the year. A rather ghastly thing happened where a Mudblood from Hufflepuff topped the year, and Alphard took second behind her. He didn't seem disturbed to take second, nor to take second to a Mudblood, but Aldise expected many parents would be expressing their disappointment and disapproval when the news was made known.

At least such a travesty was impossible in their year, Aldise thought with a sniff as a final speech was given by the long-winded Dippet. Rohesia, Cygnus, or Orion were really the only practical options, and the real question would only be who would be the unlucky one to come in third. Likely Cygnus, but it wouldn't be a problem.

"Well, that was ghastly," she said lazily, going back toward the Slytherin dormitories ignoring many of the boys stopping to watch them pass. She knew they weren't watching her, so what did it matter?

"What was ghastly?" Rohesia asked absently.

"The decision."

"Carter's very bright," Rohesia said with a shrug. "And she worked very hard."

"Yes, but there must be standards, darling."

Rohesia rolled her eyes, and Aldise frowned slightly, wondering. She'd often made comments that made Aldise suppose she didn't have proper feeling on blood purity, possibly something she picked up from her father. If Aldise could slip that thought in the right head perhaps…perhaps she could land herself a suitable husband, scare a few off from Rohesia.

Aldise smiled to herself as they entered the common room, already trying to decide who best to mention this concern to. She was leaning toward Randolph, who seemed the most likely to care strongly about that in a wife. Also, he'd be a fine husband.

Yes. She'd tell Randolph Lestrange.

/-/

"We'll be in charge next year," Cygnus said with a smirk as the sixth year boys readied for bed, the last night of their sixth year. "Or, more aptly, you'll be in charge, Orion."

Oliver glanced at Orion, who'd been restless since the first week of exams, since he'd started having quiet conversations with Alphard and Isabel Greengrass. Something seemed to be unsettling him. Cygnus, of course, was referring to Orion's status as a Prefect.

"I'm going to sit by the fire," Orion said softly, as though he hadn't heard a word, and he simply strode across the room, out of it, the door closing easily behind him.

"That was odd," Adam said with a frown, scratching at his chin and squinting through bleary eyes.

Cygnus shrugged it off, but Oliver didn't find that so easy to do. Orion wasn't the distracted sort. He was never preoccupied with anything but whatever was meant to be commanding his attention.

But Oliver was too tired to be worried. Instead, he crawled into bed and promptly fell asleep.

/-/

Once Oliver was snoring, Denis Parkinson whispered to Cygnus and Adam, "You don't think he's going wandering the castle, do you? Only, it's really not the time to be earning detention for the autumn."

Cygnus shook his head, but his eyes were dark. Denis didn't argue. He knew Cygnus was honest, if nothing else. He might be concerned, but whatever his concerns were, they didn't include the idea of Orion wandering the castle in the middle of the night. Denis laid back and stared at the canopy of his bed, trying to tire himself for sleep, but he was far too excited to go home.

/-/

Riddle glanced up when Randolph entered, without Abraxas this time. He gestured for the younger man to sit.

"Did you top your year?" he asked, leaning back.

"No," Randolph said, his eyes dark. "A Mudblood did, and Alphard Black took second. I can only imagine I came in third."

Riddle narrowed his eyes and said, "Think a little less about coming in second to Alphard Black in other areas and focus on the things that matter, Lestrange."

"What do you mean?" Randolph asked, and Tom could hear the anxiety in his voice, even though he tried to cover it with a cool, practiced pureblood exterior.

"I've heard many whisperings about you and your peers, lining up in desperation for a marriage contract," Tom said with derision. "However eligible of a wife, Randolph, Miss Fawley is not ideal for your purposes. She is intelligent, but she is too strong-willed, and her father has very dangerous ideas. You know he's friendly with Dumbledore. The very notion of allowing her to choose."

"I like the idea of breaking her down," Randolph said with a small smile, "molding that will."

"You haven't the luxury of time, Lestrange," Riddle said coldly. "Focus on what I ask of you. Nothing else."

Randolph agreed, but Tom knew he didn't have Randolph's full cooperation. Whatever reasons he said out loud, Tom could recognize the signs, even if Randolph could not. Rohesia Fawley, whether she meant it or not, had her claws deep into Randolph, and it was likely impossible for him to let go so easily.

/-/

Orion sat on the floor by the grate, resting his back on the stone mantle, watching Alphard's slow, languid blinking at the low fire. Alphard had grown increasingly out of sorts since their last talk, since Alphard told him he needed to take advantage of his year without the majority of the suitors, who were mostly older than Rohesia, and to tell her how he felt about her.

"One year left," Alphard said with a sad, almost bitter smile. "You've got another year. I'm terribly jealous. This is a precious place, you know. We get to grow and learn and love in a place free from pain and reality. Don't waste it."

"Sorry?" Orion asked. "What d'you mean, waste?"

Alphard closed his eyes, and a phantom of excruciating pain seemed to pass over his face in an instant. And then it was gone and his features were dull, bored, muted once again.

"Rohesia Fawley," Alphard whispered, "is the best woman you are ever going to meet, in your life. If you want to marry her, cousin, you must woo her here, in a safe place, a place she loves, free from social stresses of our world. She's not going to make her choice in ballrooms or lavish gardens, or over a tea or luncheon or any drivel like that. She's more likely to choose in the library, or on the lawn, or walking through Hogsmeade with friends. So, if you want to marry her, make it easy for her to choose you. Talk to the girl, tell her how you feel, take advantage of this space, Orion. Don't let it pass you by."

Orion said nothing, feeling his palms soaked with sweat. He didn't have Alphard's easy charm or Cygnus's pointed and blunt honesty. To Orion, just out and telling Rohesia how he felt was impossible…. Wasn't it? Yes, he could try to woo her at the school – after all, he felt more comfortable at the school, as well – but he didn't know the first thing about wooing someone. He wished he'd taken notes on Alphard's mannerisms, learned his way of speaking when they were younger, said yes a few more times Alphard offered him alcohol or those disgusting cigarettes. If he'd picked up a thing or two here or there, perhaps he wouldn't feel so small now.

"What are you going to do with your year without Cygnus and me?" Orion asked, feeling his eyes grow heavier with sleepiness.

Alphard inhaled sharply before he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, rubbing them probably more vigorously than was healthy.

"I'll find something to amuse myself," he said darkly. "Magnus and I will find ways not to be bored. Probably."

Orion hummed, but he allowed Alphard to pull him to his feet and lead him, sleepily, back to their dormitories.

/-/

Rohesia combed her hair first thing in the morning, turning over what Isabel had said the night before, about giving her options a solid chance, not worrying about what wasn't on the list. Isabel hadn't spoken straight, but she understood the purpose of the words – think about the wizards who want you and forget about Alphard Black.

It stung, but Rohesia knew when the stinging ended, she would be able to focus on the task at hand. Just…not right away.

Instead, she levitated her trunks with her, leading the way out of the dormitory, glancing at Alphard where he was chatting with Magnus, and ignoring the way his eyes followed her. She couldn't ignore how his eyes made the whole of her abdomen warm with a delicious ache, but she did her best, at least to keep the focus for levitating her trunk. Several potential suitors offered to get her trunk for her, but she coolly declined.

Any man who wasn't going to let her manage her own business was already not of interest.

Once on the train, she settled by the window, watching the other students milling about on the Hogsmeade platform, trying to determine where on the train they were going, what they wanted to eat on the journey home, and other such things. She was surprised when there was a soft knock on the compartment door, but she didn't turn to look as Isabel told the knocker to enter.

"Ladies," the smooth, calm voice of Alphard Black said, and Rohesia felt her face go hot, but she didn't turn to look at him. Was he nervous? He almost sounded…unsure of himself.

But that was impossible. Alphard was always sure of himself.

"Did you need something?" Isabel said, obviously a bit puzzled.

"I just…wanted to spend the ride with you," he said, and Rohesia finally glanced up to see him staring at her. "Just the one last time. If…if you'll have me."

She felt another ache, this time in her chest, and she realized she'd been holding her breath, but she nodded, feeling the tension lift slightly from the compartment as he crossed, sitting beside her, wrapping his arms about her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I've missed you," he whispered, his breath tickling her neck.

Rohesia sighed, tired of being upset with him, whatever his reasons were for not offering to court her. She let her hands lift up and trace through his hair, feeling the warm, silky strands even as his slight beard tickled and scraped on her shoulder where just a small amount of skin was available to him.

"I've missed you, too," she said, smiling a little as he took her hand from his hair, allowing her to trace the back of her hand along his jaw. His eyes glowed with something like hunger and he took her hand again, pressing it to his lips tenderly, never letting his eyes leave hers. Rohesia wondered if her eyes glowed, too, because she felt hungry all over, and she knew nothing else would ever make her feel this way.

/-/

Magnus met Alphard first thing off the train, and Alphard seemed in good spirits, which was more than could have been said for the past months. Alphard's eyes followed Rohesia as she came off the train, and he smiled when she stopped to smile and wave at him.

"You didn't," Magnus said softly.

Alphard said nothing, which was as good as a confession that Alphard had, in fact, spent his train ride with Rohesia and her friends. Magnus knew that the more times Alphard gave in to his desire to be near her, the harder it would be to watch her marry someone else, and he really didn't want Alphard to change his mind and toss in a contract.

But there was never any telling Alphard what to do.

"After the next ball, the one the Crouches are hosting," Alphard said, watching younger students milling by, "we should do something fun."

"I don't want to begin to guess what you think would be fun," Magnus said softly, "but as long as you're reasonable about it, I suppose I don't mind. How are you planning to spend your days?"

"I'll find something," Alphard said dismissively. "Who are you planning to marry, if you can't win the prize?"

Magnus felt a small wave of shame and pain at the idea that he might not get to marry Rohesia – even though he knew the odds were high – and he pressed his fingers along his jawbone as if searching for something on his own skin.

"I haven't given it a lot of thought," Magnus said bitterly. "I'd have thought she'd have made up her mind by now."

"You don't know her very well, then," Alphard said with a grin and a wink. "She's going to take her time about it. And good for her. Hey, I'll probably not be able to write frequently for a bit. My father's going to yell at me…quite a bit. Losing to a Mudblood, all that dross. You should have heard Aldise Yaxley going on about how shameful it was, and what a mess the school's gone to. What a laugh."

Magnus didn't understand why Alphard couldn't take the matter more seriously, but Alphard hardly took anything seriously, so Magnus said it was fine and to write when he could, and then decided he'd spend his time immersing himself in finance and politics and trying to become a worthy successor for his father, when the time came. Maybe consider a back-up plan, in case Alphard was right and Rohesia chose someone else. If she took her time about it, he might have to come up with a plan on short notice.

Lots of things to do, although none he wanted to.

/-/

Cygnus waited with his father for Alphard to come through the barrier, back to the Muggle part of the station, and his father asked softly, "Is it true what I heard Aldise Yaxley saying? Did a Mudblood truly top the year?"

Cygnus felt his stomach turn as he watched Alphard come through lazily with Magnus Selwyn. If he could make it easier on his brother, he would, because it wasn't truly Alphard's fault. But some things could not be avoided.

"Yes, father," Cygnus said softly, feeling his jaw twitch. "Alphard came second."

Alphard must have seen their father's rage as he approached, but he seemed completely unfazed by it, as he always seemed. He greeted their father appropriately, winked at a very anxious Cygnus, and they went to the designated Apparation point, going home abruptly.

Alphard seemed not to listen to the very loud words of disappointment that came from their father as soon as they were within the gates, and Cygnus hurried up to his own room, even though he could still hear some of the words being shouted at Alphard. He closed his eyes and wished his brother could have been a bit less…difficult. Cygnus was sick of waiting out these storms.

His mother crept in and asked what was the trouble with Alphard. Cygnus explained how the year ended up and she sighed, frowning at his door as a few choice words filtered through.

"I'll never understand him," she said softly.

"Alphard?"

"Yes. He's nothing like we raised him to be. I mean, in the basics, yes. He knows how to behave. He's bright, charming. But he never does what I expect him to do. Not like you and Walburga. I really thought, even when he was young, that he would marry Rohesia Fawley."

Cygnus felt a wave of nausea and opened his trunk, beginning to unpack, starting with shoes and books.

"You know his reasons, mother," Cygnus said darkly. "If anything, I would think you and father would be pleased that he is trying to do the right thing by our family, increasing the odds that the most coveted bride in decades becomes a Black."

His mother seemed about to say something, something unusual. Cygnus could see in her eyes that something was distressing her, and very softly, a whisper he almost couldn't hear above the shouting his father was doing, she said, "The one thing that could make him happy, and he gives it up? Besides," she added, a bit louder, "he was far more likely to woo her than Orion is. He may have ruined the chances entirely. But, that's men for you."

Cygnus smiled and shrugged, wishing he understood what his mother meant about Alphard and happiness. Yes, he was happy with Rohesia, but Alphard managed to find things to amuse and please him everywhere, not like Orion. Surely, she had it the wrong way around. He told her he'd finish unpacking his books and then take tea with him, if that was agreeable, and she said it sounded perfect.

 **A/N: So, Alphard comes second to a Muggle-born witch, Aldise has a plan, and Alphard turns his attention to life after Hogwarts.**

 **Review Prompt: Thoughts on Alphard's branch of the Black family? (Pollux & Irma; Walburga, Alphard, and Cygnus, for those who need a reminder)**

 **Q &A: Ask me anything! Read my answers here!**

 **Cheers,**

 **C**


	6. Martyrdom

**A/N: I was on the road and the site wasn't working with me, so this is a tad late, and I apologize, but I've done the best I can.**

 **-C**

Isabel stood in the garden with Rohesia at the Crouch-hosted June event. The two enjoyed getting air at the only event in the year where one could guarantee decent weather, and Rohesia sat on a stone bench, touching a rose that was wilting slightly and watching it perk and brighten at her touch. Rohesia smiled.

"How's the search going?" Isabel asked, watching the Black trio come out onto the back patio. Alphard caught her eye and nodded, and Isabel nodded back before turning her attention fully to Rohesia.

"It's going fine," Rohesia said softly, letting her thumb caress the smooth rose petal. "That is to say, I haven't been doing it, so everything's fine."

Isabel rolled her eyes, trying to think of some way to impart useful wisdom to her friend as the sound of footsteps approaching caused both girls to look up.

It wasn't Alphard, but Orion who approached, his posture confident, but his eyes belying his nerves.

"Ladies," he said, his voice nowhere smooth as his cousin's voice. Both girls greeted him demurely, and Isabel said she was thirsty, leaving the two to talk in the garden. Alphard caught her arm on the patio and asked how he was doing.

"Your cousin is sadly anxious," Isabel said cooling, yanking her arm out of his hold. "Are you sure this is really a good idea?"

"You know it is, Issy," Alphard said with a wink. "Or you would never have agreed. What was your excuse to leave?"

"Thirst," she said, glancing back over her shoulder at the garden, where Rohesia was touching the rose, saying something to Orion.

"Then allow me to escort you to get a glass of wine."

Isabel glanced back at Alphard, who was holding out his arm in his elegant, confident way, and for one small moment she understood why Rohesia was so hoping he'd put his name in. How was it that he could be so bloody charming and attractive when he was also terribly frustrating and obnoxious? It wasn't healthy.

"Very well," she said, slipping her arm into his and allowing him to lead her inside, where the bulk of the pureblood world was milling about in their finery, sipping wine or whisky, or punch for those underage. Having recently turned seventeen, Isabel didn't have to sneak wine anymore, but could partake of it freely. Alphard fetched glasses for each of them – his whisky, hers wine – and settled with her in a corner.

"So," she said, watching him take half his glass in a single swallow, "how have you been keeping yourself busy?"

"Barely out of school, darling," he said with a wink, his eyes scanning the room with boredom. "And I'm under house arrest, mainly. It should end tonight."

"What for?"

"Failure, naturally," he said with a sniff. "Do you remember Tom Riddle?"

Isabel tried not to grin as she thought of the other impossibly handsome Slytherin, the only impossibly handsome man she'd met whose name wasn't Black. Two years her senior, she'd almost been jealous of Rohesia's place as a Prefect, with her excuse to talk to the dashing Head Boy. Not that Rohesia had cared.

"How could I forget him?" she said in a teasing voice, and Alphard rolled his eyes before telling her about how Riddle was working at Borgin & Burkes.

/-/

Orion watched Rohesia pet the flower and felt a rush of confidence as he tried to decide how to tell her even a fraction of what he felt.

"You look beautiful," he said, and she thanked him with a demure smile. He realized she'd likely been told those same words a dozen times since arriving, and he hurriedly said, "I mean, not today." She blinked. "I mean, you do look beautiful today, but I mean, generally. You…always look…. You…."

He wanted to crawl under the nearest rock, but she smiled and thanked him again, more amused than demure now as she turned to another rose, this one slightly wilted. At her touch, the flower perked up and the color brightened. Orion watched with astonishment, lips slightly parted, as the bud seemed to open at her touch, trying to bloom in her hand.

"How did you do that?" he asked. He was sure he'd never learned a spell like that in Herbology, wandless or otherwise. And yet, plants always seemed to move toward her.

"I don't know," she said, stroking the flower. "My father thinks it's instinctive magic. Like children when they're angry or upset or afraid. He used to joke that my mother named me for plants because she'd set in the garden while she was pregnant and the roses would bloom around her."

"She was joking?" he said, grinning.

"Well, it's not unheard of, I suppose," Rohesia said with a shrug. "But misfiring magic isn't usually a spell happening out of the blue, it's more someone tries to do one thing and they end up doing something else. So…I always assumed she was at least partly joking. Anyway, thank you for the compliment. It's refreshing to hear someone try to say something different for a change."

Orion bit his lip and then said, "I don't care if it's original, I just…want you to know. I mean, there's got to be better descriptors, but I've…never had my cousins' way with words."

"Few have," she said with a small frown. "I do appreciate the sincerity, though. Can't be said for everyone at this…party. I suppose I should go back in."

"You don't want to?" he asked, half-hoping she wanted to stay with him, but knowing that couldn't be it. She would have said. She was forthright.

Rohesia glanced toward the house before she said, "Everyone keeps telling me I should be flattered by all the attention, but I'm not. I feel like…. I feel like those stupid peacocks the Malfoys breed. On show for others to marvel at and bid on. In all honesty, I just want to go home. I haven't enjoyed one of these parties since Christmas, and I doubt I'll enjoy another until after I'm married."

Orion wished he could help her, wished he could make all the men ogling her go away – except himself – wished he could whisk her away to her home, rescue her from the attention. But he wasn't his cousin, and he didn't have the boldness to even try those things.

"Then don't go inside," he said as she adjusted her robes to stand. "Please. I'll even leave if you'd rather be alone."

She smiled at him, the warmest, sweetest smile he'd ever seen, even from her, and she said, "Stay. Please."

/-/

Alphard glanced out the window to the garden where Orion was still sitting alone with Rohesia, still talking, perhaps about school, perhaps about marriage contracts, perhaps about how nice it was outside. It hardly mattered what. The longer he stared at the pair, the more he ached to stop all this madness and stake some kind of claim, but he knew it was too late. The least he could do was ensure Orion and Rohesia – the two most important people in his life – were happy.

The very least he could do.

"They look decent together," Cygnus said, handing Alphard another glass of whisky. "Have you thought of what the children will look like?"

"Stop," Alphard said, taking the glass and downing half of it in a go.

"They'll have to have children, Alphard. Maybe two or three. Maybe a little girl who looks just like her mother."

"Stop it."

"I bet he'll enjoy the wedding night."

It was all Alphard could do not to throw the now-empty glass at something, someone. He knew exactly what his brother was up to, but it wasn't going to work. There was no backing over the bridge he'd crossed, and Alphard certainly wasn't going to try.

Of course, once the idea was planted in Alphard's head, it was impossible not to imagine what the wedding night would be, how her body would look and feel and taste, the way her glorious voice would sound in her euphoria. He turned away from the window and consumed several more glasses of whisky, but nothing seemed to take away the torture of thinking of what it would be to hold her. He watched Orion and Rohesia enter together, still talking, her hand on his arm, and while he could recognize the proud glow of his cousin, the comfortable and attractive quality of the pair together, Alphard couldn't help feeling he'd let go of the best thing in his life.

It took all the power he had left over his own body not to cross and ask her for a dance. Instead, he motioned to his cousin to ask her, and Orion seemed to get the hint, leaning in to ask Rohesia a soft question. Alphard couldn't see if she was smiling, but she did nod, and Alphard leaned against a pillar as he watched them move onto the dance floor, with all the couples and partners, and he licked his lips, contemplating another whisky.

/-/

Rohesia didn't know how long she'd spent with Orion, dancing and talking, discussing their projects and just being together so she didn't have to worry about the frequent advances of half the males in the room. She had half-forgotten why she'd wanted him there by the end of the night, but she didn't regret spending so much time with him. He still tripped over his own tongue a few times, but it was more charming than annoying, and at least she knew he was sincere in his praise, when he offered it.

He walked her to the door when her father was putting his own cloak on, still chattering away with Isabel's father about some trade deal with several African nations. Orion helped her with her cloak, his gray eyes full and warm as he stared at her.

"Goodnight," she said, smiling. He might not be his cousin…but he was certainly attractive.

"Goodnight," he whispered back, taking her hand and kissing it gently, tenderly. In such a simple, habitual, regular motion, Orion had expressed something much deeper and more emotional than she'd ever experienced from having her hand kissed. She almost regretted when he let go of her hand.

"I've…had a nice time," she said, glancing at her father, who was still deep in conversation.

"As have I," Orion said earnestly. "And…even if I don't see you before, I will see you in September, and I shall certainly look forward to it."

She smiled a bit bigger and told him she would look forward to it, too. And she would. She almost didn't want to walk away from him, but she saw, over his shoulder and toward the end of the corridor, Alphard watching them with unreadable emotion in his eyes, and suddenly she wanted to be anywhere else.

Why did it all have to be so confusing?

As she and her father crossed the front garden to the gate, toward the Apparation point, he said, "So, you had a good time with the Black boy?"

"Hmm?"

"Arcturus's boy, Orion? You seemed to enjoy yourself."

"Oh, yes," she said, glancing back over her shoulder, toward the Crouch home. "Yes, he's quite sweet. And his standing scares away some of the more…obnoxious ones."

"Are you any closer to making your choice, my dear?"

Rohesia frowned, rubbing her hands together as they left the gates and her father held out his arm for transport. She wished that one night could make up her mind on something so difficult, but nothing ever seemed to be that simple. Seeing Alphard looking at her like that, it reminded her of all the reasons she wanted to see Alphard's name in the list. Why did he have to deny her that?

"I really don't know," she said, frowning, touching her father's arm. He gave her a tender, indulgent smile. "How did you know you wanted to marry my mother?"

"First time I laid eyes on her," he said with a wink. "The most beautiful woman in the room. We were five."

"Father."

"No, truthfully. That's when I knew. And I never changed my mind. Granted, if you married the most beautiful man in the room, you'd have to marry Alphard Black, wouldn't you? But I suppose his cousin wouldn't be a poor substitute."

"Let's just go home," she said quickly, adding a please, ignoring her father's chuckle at her distress before he turned on his heel to oblige her request.

/-/

Magnus watched Orion seem to float as he crossed over to where Cygnus and Adam Rosier were having a chat. Alphard was standing at a window, still staring out after where Rohesia had gone, and Magnus sat in a small wooden chair beside the window, looking out at the night.

"She's gone, mate," Magnus said gently. "You're just staring at a wall."

"Maybe I like the bloody wall," Alphard said bitterly.

Magnus said nothing. He didn't want to agitate his friend further. Instead, he rubbed his palms on his thighs and said, "We should do something tomorrow, or maybe Wednesday. When it's quiet. There's, erm, that village you like near my place. We could chat up Muggle girls at the pub and dazzle them with your tricks."

Alphard's lips twitched and Magnus knew he liked the idea, but Alphard then shook his head and said, "We'll see. But yeah, we should do something. The pub, maybe. Dunno about the girls. Let's just see how it goes, shall we?"

The two agreed to this and Alphard turned, looking back in at the room.

"Do you ever feel like the world we live in is like…like a dream? Like we're all just treading water, wading through the dream night after night without covering any new ground, while the rest of the world rushes by. Like none of this is even real, and if we could break out of it all, we'd actually be living."

Magnus didn't like when his friend spoke like this, because it sounded too much like running away, like leaving their world, like becoming a blood traitor. Magnus had often thought that if it hadn't been for Rohesia, Alphard would have tried to leave long ago, but that her and her blood status had tied him to their world more tightly. And now that he seemed resigned to not having her…what did it mean for Alphard's future? What did it mean for his choices going forward?

"They gave you a pretty hard time?" he asked tightly, not really wanting to know. Alphard just hummed before glancing back at the window, looking almost through the wall, as if she was still standing there to be seen.

"D'you reckon America's like this?"

"I reckon it's awful," Magnus said with a smirk. "Rappaport's Law?"

Alphard groaned at the reminder of the brutal American law barring not only exposure of their world to Muggles, but even barring relationships and friendships with Muggles. Alphard's clever tricks in Muggle pubs here might be pressing things, but in America they would be highly illegal.

"Maybe France, then," Alphard said darkly. "Maybe I'll ask Orion to let me move into the villa when he inherits. I wouldn't mind dying there."

Magnus felt his stomach drop, but he was too afraid to ask.

/-/

Walburga and Aldise had their heads together with Randolph Lestrange, who seemed to take the information about Rohesia's possible leanings with some consideration.

"Why wouldn't you express the matter to your father or uncle, Walburga?" Randolph asked, frowning over at Orion.

Oh, she wanted to. Watching her cousin spend so much of the event with Rohesia Fawley on his arm was infuriating, especially given what Aldise Yaxley told her Rohesia had said about Mudbloods. It was all very worrying, indeed. They didn't need blood traitors being bred into the Black line. Such aberrations were an unfortunate fact of any line without encouraging more.

"Such suggestions always have more weight on a man's tongue," Walburga said carefully. "In truth, I fear for my cousin. He is…blinded by her charms, and cannot see her true nature. A skill she learned from her father, no doubt. A very base sort of thing."

Randolph hummed, and Walburga recognized the hope in Aldise Yaxley's eyes. Aldise was clearly not hoping to ruin her best friend, but she did want to marry someone of good standing, and Walburga could understand the frustration of losing the attention of every male their age to Rohesia. And if Aldise could land Randolph Lestrange, it would be a very eligible match.

She couldn't have Orion, of course. As quality as the Yaxley line was, Walburga had better things in mind for her cousin, and Alphard had no interest in the girl.

"I will see what I can do," Randolph said slowly, "but I make no promises. You understand. They have no need to listen to me."

"They respect you," Aldise said with an obnoxious fluttering of her lashes. "I expect they'll be pleased to have your input on the matter."

Randolph said he would try, and then took his leave of the two women, not glancing back at them.

"Do you think he'll be successful?" Aldise said softly, frowning. "I don't want her to have no marriage prospects. But…just…."

"Not the ones you want," Walburga said with a bitter smile. "I understand perfectly. A girl with her inheritance and bloodline and beauty will always have some prospects. Maybe not the sheer volume she has now, but that's alright. She can't marry them all."

Aldise hummed, but the girl was truly concerned with the matter, which Walburga found frustrating. If anything, Walburga supposed, Alphard and Rohesia might run off and be blood traitors together, which would suit Walburga just fine. If they were blasted off the family tree and written out of the wills, it didn't matter what offspring they produced. They wouldn't be able to affect the purity and leanings of the main line. Pruning the tree was a natural fact of life, but she would not sacrifice the heir, not if she had anything to say about it.

 **A/N: So, Orion's made his first advance, Rohesia is trying not to think about it, Alphard is desperate to distract himself, and Walburga tries to use Randolph Lestrange to put a wedge between Orion and Rohesia.**

 **Review Prompt: Would you rather live in Wizarding America or England, of this era?**

 **Q &A: If y'all don't start asking questions, I'm going to start making questions up!**

 **Cheers,**

 **C**


	7. A Place in the World

**A/N: Here's your regular weekly update! Hope you enjoy!**

 **-C**

Isabel poured herself some tea as Hankin turned over the letter he'd just been delivered, a letter with a Ministry seal.

"Your exam results?" Isabel asked, and both Hankin and their father nodded. "Well, you'd best open them, hadn't you?"

Her brother gave her a sour look, but she knew he was anxious. Their family had a longstanding tradition of contract law, drafting and preparing contracts for all the major families for generations. Her brother was meant to follow in that tradition, but it was a question of whether he managed high enough scores in History, Charms, and Arithmancy. Passing wasn't enough – he needed E's across the board as a minimum, and an O in at least one would carry on the tradition of excellence that had been held since their great-grandfather ran the business. Dropping the ball was not acceptable, and Isabel wouldn't be able to take over the matter.

Hankin wouldn't run things alone, of course. The Greengrasses had partners, namely the Parkinsons, and provided Denis's results met the mark, they would be in business together. But if either one failed to meet the mark…it was like handing over the business entire to the other family.

After Isabel began making impatient noises, Hankin finally opened his results, his eyes scanning the page, his teeth worrying his bottom lip.

"Well?" their father snapped. "Have you done it or not?"

"Arithmancy, Exceeds Expectations," Hankin read out. "Charms, Exceeds Expectations. And History of Magic…. Well, Exceeds Expectations."

Isabel frowned as their father let out a frustrated sigh.

"Well, at least you've qualified," their father snarled, as though he weren't dreadfully unhappy at the lack of O's in pertinent subjects. Isabel held out her hand to see the results. He'd managed an O in Care of Magical Creatures, but that didn't matter for his career path. She felt terribly sorry for him, but she knew he wouldn't be pleased with her pity.

Instead, he expressed his sincere apologies to his father, who was rubbing the back of his neck, trying to decide what to do.

"It's fine," he finally said. "Nothing. Denis will likely get an O or two. Make up for it. You've qualified, that's the main thing. You start tomorrow."

"Yes, sir," Hankin said, setting down the letter with a small frown. "Same time you go in?"

"Same time."

He'd be leaving the house at five in the morning, Isabel realized, and she decided she'd get up a bit early, make them breakfast. Her father would likely think nothing of it, but she knew her brother would appreciate the gesture. And since he wouldn't dare accept her apologies or pity, maybe he would accept a well-made meal. They hadn't had an elf for several years, so Isabel had become quite good at cooking, where her mother never seemed to improve, perhaps out of stubbornness. What her mother failed to realize – perhaps on purpose – was that the contract business was not as lucrative as it used to be, and much of the ancestral gold was running out. If Isabel didn't make a good marriage…. Well, she could always rely on Rohesia's charity, in whatever form, whomever Rohesia married. It wasn't ideal, but Isabel, unlike so many in her social sector, was not a proud woman.

/-/

Druella knew she didn't really need to open her NEWTs, but she opened them anyway. Adam expressed no interest in her results – not that she was terribly surprised. She wouldn't do anything with the results, anyway. But she did pass everything she took, with an E in Astronomy and Charms, and she was mildly proud of the result. She would write Cygnus, who would be pleased for her, at the very least.

But unlike for the boys in her year, or half-blood females, the exam results did not mark a change in how Druella functioned. Her marriage in a year's time would be the marker of that change, and at least for her it would be a pleasant one. She considered herself lucky, not because she was marrying someone she loved, but because everything had been sorted out so quickly and painlessly, so that she and Cygnus were simply able to enjoy looking forward to their wedding, unlike poor Rohesia, and all the girls suffering from the lack of men available while the Fawley contract situation was sorted.

"I'm going to write some letters," Druella said brightly, but no one even looked up from their food. Her mother just acknowledged it as she poured herself more tea.

/-/

Adam knew his sister was pleased about her exam results, but he was more anxious about the upcoming Hogwarts letters. Nothing interesting would be in his, of course, but he knew it was highly possible either Orion or Rohesia might become a Head, which would be a welcome thing for his school year. Either one he was on good terms with, and either one was highly favorable to Slytherins – although Rohesia was a bit more "fair" than he would have liked on the whole. While his sister was busy writing her fiancé about her exam results, Adam was planning what his year would be like, should he get the result he wanted.

/-/

Alphard opened his exams and let his eyes run across the line of O's, bored before he reached the bottom. For him, it meant nothing. He was supposed to interest himself with politics and finance, not that he found either thing especially interesting. He tossed the letter on the table, knowing his sister might take some interest in it, and he announced that he was off to see Magnus, not waiting around to hear if that was alright. He changed, putting on some Muggle clothes beneath his robes, and he walked out, past the gate, breathing in the morning air.

But instead of Apparating to his friend's house, he landed in London, outside the Leaky Cauldron, but not sure whether he wanted Muggle or Magical London to amuse him. The possibilities were endless in a city this size, but he just bought another pack of cigarettes, had a pint in a Muggle pub, and watched a young lady with her friends pretend not to notice him.

She was attractive in a way, fair and lithe, graceful in her motions and demure in her expressions. Alphard couldn't help thinking she was nothing to Rohesia, but then, Rohesia wasn't his, anyway.

After some coaxing and harassing from her friends, the blonde shyly approached him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hello," she said, nervous and obviously wanting nothing more than to blend in with the furniture. "Sorry, this is dreadfully silly, but my friends were wondering…what your name is."

He smiled, warm and friendly, gesturing for her friends to join them. The girls giggled, but they approached.

"It's not silly at all," he said. "My name's Alphard. A family name. Why don't you ladies tell me your names, and I'll buy the drinks."

/-/

Magnus frowned. Plenty of E's, of course. He'd expected that. But he would have liked more than an O in Charms, but it would do. He wondered how Alphard had done, expected it had been far better than Magnus's effort, and supposed he'd get a letter soon enough. Or even a visit, depending on the climate at Alphard's home.

Sure enough, about two, three hours after the letter arrived, Alphard showed up, slightly buzzed and grinning.

"I can't believe you're this excited about your exams," Magnus said, quickly ushering his best friend upstairs so he wasn't seen in this state. "What happened?"

"I went into London for a bit," Alphard said brightly, pulling out a cigarette as soon as he was sitting on Magnus's bed, lighting it. Magnus quickly opened a window, annoyed that Alphard once again hadn't asked first. "Met these lovely birds, they wanted to play a kissing game."

"And of course, you obliged," Magnus said, rolling his eyes.

"There was this brunette with the most perfect tits," Alphard sighed. "Fit just right in my hands. A shame I couldn't have mixed and matched the best bits of them, but it wasn't so bad, having a whole group."

"Tell me you didn't."

"Didn't what?" Alphard asked, Magnus rubbing his jaw as Alphard began smoking his cigarette, blissfully unaware of Magnus's irritation.

"You know."

"Oh, deflower them?" Alphard was teasing, as he always did when he thought Magnus was being prudish. "No, don't worry, Magnus. They left with most of their honor intact. A shame, though. I think that brunette was eager."

As far as Magnus was aware, Alphard was a frustrated virgin. Not for lack of choice, but because Alphard was a perfectionist, and he insisted no girl was ever good enough. Namely, no girl was ever Rohesia Fawley, and therefore not good enough. It was the simplest thing in the world for Alphard to find fault, and if Magnus allowed his friend to keep babbling, no doubt he would hear of all the mystery brunette's faults. Instead, he suggested they play some gobstones, because Magnus would rather not hear all the dross about the Muggle girls Alphard had fondled.

/-/

Randolph's jaw tightened as he considered his exam results. All excellent, all O's apart from Transfiguration. How utterly irritating, and it wasn't only an E, but an A. He crumpled the sheet and tossed it aside, staring at the table.

He was certain Alphard Black received all O's, and Abraxas likely didn't get an A, although he probably had several E's. But after all that work, all that energy, all that ridiculous time poured into the stupid course….

And for nothing.

He checked his pocket watch and decided there would be time to make himself some tea before he had his meeting with Arcturus Black to discuss the state of politics and purity in England. As Alphard Black showed very little interest in such things, it was decided that Randolph would be the best bet for preserving traditions, maintaining propriety of their social sphere.

He enjoyed a cup of tea and was just about to go to the conservatory when he felt someone at the wards and he went to the gate instead, greeting Arcturus Black with all due deference and leading him to the conservatory. The house-elf had food and drink laid out in the conservatory, as ordered, and Arcturus sat with his hands folded, that same bored expression his nephew often wore gracing his face. Randolph suspected Arcturus resembled Alphard quite a bit when he was young.

"A drink, sir?" Randolph said, gesturing to the options. Arcturus asked for a whisky and Randolph waved his wand, filling a glass for the Black patriarch and setting it before him before pouring his own glass.

Randolph decided, almost at the last moment, that he was not going to go out of his way to mention Rohesia's blood status concerns. Not at first meeting, anyway. Best if he kept such a thing to himself, built up trust, and if it looked as though a Black or someone else was going to beat him out for the contract, he would show the hand. He owed Walburga nothing, and she had said her main concern was that the Black line was untainted.

It wasn't an ideal leaning, but Randolph supposed such things could be forgiven if she kept her place. And when Rohesia married him, she would keep her place. Whether it took a short time for her to learn, or a long time to train her, she would do as told. Of that, he had no doubts.

/-/

Druella smiled at the letter from Cygnus, the response to the letter she sent about her exam results. It was sweet and supportive, and he also told her about Alphard's reaction to his straight line of O's, and a letter from Orion about how anxious he was about the pressure to be Head Boy.

Druella had been pleased not to be pressured to be Head Girl, as she'd never had a prayer, nor any desire. She supposed she should pass her sympathies through Cygnus, although she thought they'd be mad not to select him. It was rare to find a Black so level-headed.

/-/

Abraxas poured himself a glass of whisky and frowned at his results, mostly E's with an O in Ancient Runes. Suitable, but not idea, certainly. Randolph and Alphard had obviously done better. He didn't need any more for keeping his thumb on politics and keeping his family line in money, but he had a feeling the girl he wanted to marry would end up with better scores than him, and it did sting his pride, slightly.

"They are nothing to be ashamed of, Abraxas," his father said, watching Abraxas down his whisky and pour another glass. "And if you're thinking of Miss Greengrass, I doubt she would mind a jot."

Abraxas snorted before he downed another glass.

Of course, Isabel Greengrass understood keenly what it was like to be consistently less than one's best friend. But to be less than one's wife? Perhaps he ought to set his sights on someone else.

/-/

Dionisia Rowle opened her letter, not at all surprised with its sparse, boring contents, advising her purchases, but it did not take long at all for Aldise Yaxley to send out a mess of letters with the information they were all waiting for.

"Rohesia Fawley is Head Girl," Dionisia told her mother happily. "Oh, _and_ Orion Black is Head Boy! That's a great sign for Slytherin this year. I think we'll win the House Cup for certain."

"I wonder what this means for the marriage contracts," her mother said thoughtfully. When Dionisia asked what she meant, her mother said, "Well, Orion Black is one of the possible contracts, isn't he? I wonder if it will be to his advantage or disadvantage that they will be working together so closely over the course of the year. It's possible it could give him an edge, but I've always thought Rohesia was a very proud girl. If he's not careful, it could end his chances."

Dionisia thought it wouldn't make much difference, but she couldn't imagine Orion damaging someone's pride.

"Shall we go earlier or later?" her mother asked, and Dionisia said it didn't make any difference. She just needed to top up her clerical supplies and see if they had any new robe trends in stock.

/-/

Orion turned his Head Boy badge over and around in his hands, thinking of all the things he might say to Rohesia when he first faced her with the badge on his chest. Cygnus learned through Druella, who learned from Alphard, that Rohesia had been given the other badge, and they would be running the Prefects together.

Hours alone together, making plans, discussing philosophies, maybe even doing their rounds together. In the middle of the night, he felt he could be bolder, say things he was otherwise too afraid to say, tell her exactly how much he adored her. Perhaps he might even kiss her. This was his shot to set himself apart. To truly make her envision what their life together might be, and why it was her best option.

He would have to plan carefully, know what he wanted to say, how he wanted to pace things. If he wanted to be certain she didn't turn him away, he didn't want to spook her, or spook himself and make a fool of himself.

This was what Alphard and meant, Orion realized, when he told Orion to enjoy his final year, to make the most of the opportunity Hogwarts afforded. This was an opportunity to woo Rohesia Fawley without all the other suitors around to steal her attention or make life difficult, without even Alphard there to steal her attention.

"Orion?" his father called up the stairs. "Your mother said dinner is at six today."

"Yes, Father," Orion called back, checking his watch before rolling over and reading over the letter again detailing his duties and expectations.

Should he write to her? Should he start the job now, or take time to draft his ideas first? Of course, he could draft ideas now, and then write to her. Still plenty of time.

Too many options, he thought with his stomach turning. Too many ways for things to go wrong.

/-/

Rohesia tried on her new lilac robes and pinned on the badge, smiling softly to herself as she brushed her hair off her neck. There was a knock at the door as she admired her reflection and she said the door was unlocked.

She was surprised, when the door opened, to see Alphard standing in the doorframe.

"Dare we cause question to your reputation and let me in?" he teased, his eyes grazing her figure as though she couldn't see him doing it in the mirror. She smiled a little, feeling her skin go hot.

"Oh, only my father would know, and he doesn't care," she said, almost anxious. "Did your cousin get the other badge?"

"Yeah, he's pleased," Alphard said as she turned, his eyes lingering on the neckline of her robes. "That's a nice color. Those are new."

"Latest style," she said, bored as she turned back toward the mirror. "What do you think?"

He took a few steps so he was standing behind her and he said, "I think you look stunning. But you look stunning in everything."

"You're just teasing," she sighed, and he kissed the back of her head, and she thought he might be breathing in her hair. "Alphard, what are you doing?"

"You smell wonderful," he said, smiling. "Of roses and lilacs. Can I close the door, or is that too much?"

"Can you behave yourself?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Only if you want me to, darling," he teased, and she agreed, allowing him to close the door as she sat in her vanity chair. He sat on the bed and smiled at her, and he conjured a couple of glasses before pulling a flask out of his pocket. Rohesia just laughed.

 **A/N: So, NEWT results are in, expectations are measured, and Orion and Rohesia will be Head Boy and Girl together.**

 **Review prompt: Do you think working as Head Boy and Girl will cause love to blossom, or end up being more of a problem than a blessing?**

 **Q &A: No question right now! I'm seriously going to start making shit up.**

 **Cheers!**

 **C**


	8. The Last First

**A/N: Here's your regular weekly update! I've had a bit of a chaos time in my life, so I'm just warning you now, I plan to continue regular updates for the Unknowns series, but if I vanish for a bit, it's family stuff and life drama and I'll be back as soon as I can. But I'm hopeful it won't make a dent in this series.**

 **-C**

Cygnus and Orion heaved their trunks into their compartment, and Cygnus checked his watch. About ten to eleven.

"I should go to the prefect's cabin," Orion said anxiously.

"You don't have to go yet," Cygnus said with a frown, but he knew exactly why Orion was so eager to get there: he was hoping Rohesia would show up early as well, so he'd have a bit of time alone with her.

Cygnus supposed he'd have done the same, and he and Druella been in that sort of position. He never had enough time to be around her.

"Well," Orion said with a shrug, "no time like the present. Do you need anything before I go?"

Cygnus said no and watched his cousin leave before glancing at the time again and leaning back in his seat. He could get out a book, but he didn't feel like reading. And there were people he could go chat to, but no one he actually wanted to speak to.

Instead, he stared out the window at the younger students, the first years kissing their parents goodbye and going off into the possibly-unknown. Cygnus could barely remember how it had been, getting on the train for the first time, his brother and cousin sitting with him, Alphard out of charity and Orion because they knew they liked and trusted each other. Magnus Selwyn had joined them, eating his sweets, reading his book, keeping mostly to himself…

Until Rohesia Fawley entered.

They'd known each other from the pureblood events, from being stuck in the children's room together to play under supervision. Alphard had always taken a shine to her, so Cygnus had been stuck playing with her more than he would have liked, but as soon as she walked into their compartment, Alphard lit up, making Orion scoot over so she could sit by him, especially because she'd been crying. She'd had a bad run-in with a half-blood third year girl with more brawn than brains, and three days later, the girl was put in the hospital wing for three weeks.

Cygnus always knew it was Alphard's payback for making Rohesia cry, but he never asked.

Now it was over, his last train ride to Hogwarts. No Alphard and Magnus. No Orion for a while. And almost certainly no Rohesia, who would sit with Isabel and Aldise. And no tears for Rohesia, certainly, who ran the school. No one would dare treat her poorly, and everybody knew her name.

Cygnus closed his eyes and thought of Alphard, who'd almost gone with him to the train station, but backed out at the last minute. He wondered how long his brother would be able to stand the idea of Rohesia marrying someone else before he couldn't anymore and tossed his name in the ring. It couldn't be long.

He opened his eyes and saw Rohesia walk by his compartment, her profile striking and her posture confident. Nothing like the sniffling eleven-year-old too afraid to back to her own compartment, curling against Alphard and telling him everything that happened as he petted her hair. And yet….

Perhaps nothing had changed but time and circumstance.

/-/

Aldise sighed, settling by the window and letting her eyes graze over Isabel's book cover. It was a beautiful cover, but the content looked exceedingly dull – likely something loaned by Rohesia, who was off at her meeting. It wasn't starting right away, but perhaps others were arriving shortly.

"Are you going to read the whole way?" Aldise said with a sniff.

"No," Isabel said coolly, turning the page, letting her eyes adjust to the new location on the page. "I'm going to finish this section, and that should be just enough time for Rohesia to come back from her meeting, and then we can have a proper train ride."

"Oh, you're being ghastly dull," Aldise snapped.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Isabel said smoothly, still not looking up. "But I find you dull to deal with when you're in this mood and it's just us, and this year I decided I just wasn't going to do it."

Aldise frowned, glancing out the window, feeling sour about the insinuation that she could ever be dull. She rubbed the back of her neck, frowning at the small children on the platform, wondering how they could possibly be eleven.

"Were we that small at eleven?" Aldise whispered, mostly to herself, with astonishment. It didn't seem possible.

"Smaller, for you," Isabel said with a small smirk. "You were probably the smallest first year ever to go to Hogwarts."

Aldise sniffed again.

"You know I prefer delicate."

"Doesn't change the size by changing the word, darling. Anyway, Rohesia's delicate. You were just scrawny."

"You know, I think I liked you better when you were ignoring me," Aldise said coldly, and Isabel just laughed.

/-/

Orion arrived only a minute or so before Rohesia, who looked perfect. Her dress cinched beautifully to accentuate her small waist, and her dark brown hair cascaded around her pale face to her shoulders. Too many women wore their hair up, he thought, but Rohesia always looked classy with her hair around her shoulders.

"Good morning," he said, forcing the words off his tongue and into the air between them. She smiled, smoothing her skirt as she sat, pulling a little notebook out of her bookbag.

"Good morning," she said back, her voice smooth and sweet as he sat across from her. "I suppose we've got a whole year ahead of us, don't we? Last one."

"Yes," he said, swallowing, imagining all his fears and hesitations were swallowed back into his belly. If he was going to marry Rohesia, he couldn't be afraid of her. He had to make a case. "I…want you to know, I'm glad it's us. Together. I'm…glad I'm working with you."

Her warm eyes seemed to search and consider his face, as though looking for something in the curve of his eyebrows, the angle of his jaw.

"I'm glad as well," she said, smiling at him. "It's good to know I won't have to work with someone obnoxious or domineering, and I have the pleasure of working with someone I respect."

"Yes," he said, smiling. "I…respect you, as well. I can't say that of most…."

"Women?" she offered, almost smiling.

"No," he said, blinking, almost surprised. "No, I respect Isabel. Druella. I…struggle to respect Aldise, but…"

"So, does everybody," Rohesia said with a laugh. "Well, if not women, then what?"

"Well, p-people," he said, shrugging. "There's…. I mean, part if it is how we were raised. But there's so few people I feel I can…trust. And you have to trust to respect, don't you?"

Her smile certainly reached her eyes now, and she said, "Orion, I quite agree. Now, what are your thoughts on Prefect rounds?"

He sighed, feeling weight off his chest as she continued to smile at him, the two of them alone in a compartment together. He could get used to this, and he thanked Dippet for putting them together.

"I think Riddle had a good set-up, in principle," he said, rubbing his jaw. "People patrolling with their house and year, adjusting as necessary through the Heads instead of doing unsanctioned swaps. It cut down on a lot of…abuse."

"Yes, in principle," she said, frowning slightly. "But I do recall how that went, and it will create a lot of extra work for us. And Riddle might have been able to manage it, but his fellow Head was taking practically nothing, and you and I both have very busy schedules. That is, if you're continuing with everything you had last year."

"Oh, yes," he said brightly, clinging to the one topic they'd always been able to discuss smoothly – what they'd discussed in all their fifth year patrols so he could avoid his raging nerves. "Yes, I'm quite looking forward to it. I've heard your Potions project is practically revolutionary."

Rohesia tinged a slight pink, but she shrugged and tried to brush off the praise. He knew she was very proud of her projects, but quietly so. Rohesia was not one to boast.

"Nothing, really," she said dismissively. "Considering the moon cycles is so important, it only made sense to follow the next logical step and measure the impact of other stellar phenomenon."

Orion grinned, asking her for more information, and savoring every moment before they had to work.

/-/

Rohesia and Orion gave instructions to the younger students while they were in the meeting, and they waited for the other Prefects to file out. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she watched the last girl left, and Orion stood as she did, watching her, seeming to wait for her to speak or go, or something.

"Last September train ride," she said, her voice much softer than she usually heard. Or was that just to her ears?

"Yes," he said, his gray eyes wide, as if they were trying to speak to her, or reach out to touch her.

"Where's your compartment, then?" she asked, touching her wrist absently.

"About halfway down," he said, leaning toward her slightly. "Yours?"

"Oh, near the back. Isabel loves to be at the back. You…you could join us. If you'd like."

He swallowed, his eyes still wide, and he seemed to be deciding something. She had said it mostly to be polite, but she found she didn't mind the idea of him joining her. It might make Aldise behave herself a bit more. She could be so unpleasant on the train rides.

"I…. Cygnus is waiting for me," he said slowly. "But I…would certainly enjoy that."

"You could both come," she said, before she even realized what she was saying. "Just the two of you, I imagine it might be quite dull. I mean, not to suggest either of you are…dull, but…"

She sighed. She couldn't recall the last time she'd felt this kind of nervousness.

He smiled softly and said, "Why don't we stop in and ask. If he doesn't mind, we'll join you. Shall we?"

He opened the door to the compartment and she nodded, stepping through, feeling him as he walked a step behind her up the corridor, a strong and supportive presence. He told her just before they were going to pause outside his compartment, and he gave her a long look before opening the door and asking Cygnus if he wanted to move with the girls. Cygnus seemed amused, but not terribly surprised, and he agreed. So, the move was made, and Rohesia smiled as Cygnus sat by the door, especially, leaving a space between him and Rohesia for Orion, once Isabel put her foot up on the bench to cover the other free seat.

Orion's posture was perfect, a bit stiff, but his presence was a radiating warmth beside Rohesia as she glanced out the window at the countryside. He leaned closer to see out the window, and she could feel just a tickle of his breath on her ear.

Not like Alphard in many ways, she mused, but one way Orion was just like his cousin was in the steady, gentlemanly presence he exuded. He wasn't imposing, but rather she had a sense that he would stay at her side for as long as she let him, there if she wanted or needed him, but happy just to be beside her.

Aldise struck up a standard, polite conversation with Cygnus, her hostess instincts kicking in, mercifully, to keep her from boring everyone. Orion, however, was looking at Rohesia when she turned her attention inward, and to her mild surprise he didn't blush or look away. He just smiled at her, gentle unlike his cousin's confidence. But it was sweet.

/-/

Cygnus watched the way Orion held out his hand to help Rohesia out of the train, on the platform. He and Isabel shared a glance as he held out his hand again, to help her into a carriage.

"He's doing well," Isabel whispered.

"Alphard got you involved, didn't he?" Cygnus teased. She nodded.

"What I don't understand," Isabel said, walking slowly so the carriage would take off with just the pair in it, Aldise trudging along behind them on the path, "is why Alphard would want her married to someone else."

Cygnus hummed, knowing it wasn't really what his brother wanted, but rather what he thought was the best possible outcome. Still, it didn't mean it was his place to lay out Alphard's failings and weaknesses, as discrete as Isabel was.

"You'd have to ask him about that," he said, stepping more quickly as the carriage took off.

Part of him wished he could have been a fly on the carriage wall, listening in and watching as Orion and Rohesia spent time alone. It would be a great triumph, both for Orion and for the Black family if he were to woo her, but it wasn't taken for granted at all.

"Oh, here we are," Cygnus said, gesturing for Isabel to enter first, and Aldise. He followed them in, holding his breath and hoping no one else got into their carriage before the thestrals took off.

"It's all a bit odd, isn't it?" Aldise said with a sniff. She'd been sniffing a lot, he mused. Perhaps she was allergic to some autumn thing. "Last carriage ride."

Cygnus didn't bother reminding her of the one at the end of the year. He just shared a small smile with Isabel and waited silently to pull up to the castle.

/-/

Aldise sat at the table, listening to the Sorting without actually listening, paying as little attention as possible as she let her eyes graze over the people to see if anyone looked interesting. There was a girl in Ravenclaw who'd cut her hair quite short, and while it was becoming to her face shape, but it seemed rather vulgar.

Not like the beautiful long locks of Rohesia, who had some of the longest hair of anyone Aldise knew. When Aldise tried to grow her hair that long, it would break off.

The feast went by rather quickly, and Aldise was looking forward to going straight back to bed and getting a good rest before courses in the morning, but she was surprised when Rohesia and Orion stood as soon as students were dismissed and walked up to approach the High Table.

"What is she doing?" Aldise said, mildly horrified.

"They have to check in with the Headmaster," Isabel said, as though this were obvious. "The Heads do it every year. She'll be there in a bit."

Aldise sniffed. Likely, but the time Rohesia arrived at the dormitory, Aldise would already be asleep. And with the boys joining them in their compartment, they hadn't had a proper chance for a chat. It was all very tiresome.

"Very well," Aldise said stiffly. "I suppose that is…suitable."

They went with the crowd of Slytherins out of the Great Hall, down the stairs, and to the Slytherin common room, and Aldise felt an eerie chill on her skin.

Her last welcoming feast – done.

/-/

Oliver Nott narrowed his eyes as Orion entered their dormitory as though gliding around on air. Although Oliver had no doubt Orion was being an utter gentleman – as that was his way – he suspected it had to do with the lovely Rohesia Fawley. Probably every bloke in the pureblood circles – and plenty out of them – was jealous of the access Orion's position as Head Boy gave him to time alone with the very attractive young lady.

And the sigh Orion gave as he sat on the edge of his bed, removing his shoes, told Oliver all he needed to know.

/-/

Tom Riddle met Abraxas and Randolph at Lestrange Manor, discussing politics and blood status etiquette as it stood. He frowned at both of his companions, noting they were both distracted.

He supposed it had to do with September the First. In a few hours, a new day would start, but until then he saw these two would be distracted. Tom suspected it had to do with women, and he used a light Legilimency to see Randolph's surface thoughts.

Randolph wasn't just thinking of the Fawley girl: his thoughts of her were lustful, violent, graphic. A fantasy was playing out in his mind of how he would take her, what he would do with her if he didn't wait for the contracts to be over.

"A reminder," Tom said to both of them, and Abraxas and Randolph blinked, their attention sharpening for a moment. "Love is a weakness. It gives you a place where someone can hurt you, an angle you do not need to expose. Keep that line between physical desires and love."

Both men nodded, shifting uncomfortably as they realized he knew what they were thinking about.

/-/

Albus Dumbledore stood in his quarters, recalling carefully the way he'd seen Orion Black and Rohesia Fawley enter, her speaking animatedly, him brimming with pride and joy. Almost as though she'd made a choice….

Albus was not of the opinion that she had made a marriage choice so soon, but he did think there was a possibility, a probability that in putting them together as Head Boy and Girl as Albus insisted upon, not only would Hogwarts have a brilliant and efficient pair in charge, but it would give Orion the boost necessary to make a case for himself.

In actuality, Albus did not care who married Rohesia Fawley, but he did worry about her picking Randolph Lestrange. Someone of her brilliance, her power, beholden to such a husband…. He strongly suspected Tom Riddle had Randolph under his thumb – a place he did not want Rohesia to end up. Alphard had seemed the safest choice, but he continued to remain out of the picture. Magnus Selwyn and Orion were possibilities, however they did not have Alphard's strength of character and spirit, the individuality that would fight for the autonomy of himself and his wife within the larger pureblood structure.

All Albus could do now, though, was pull his hands away from the machinations and wait.

 **A/N: So, Rohesia and Orion begin their reign, Cygnus and Isabel are walking a fine line between supporting Orion and supporting Alphard, and Albus Dumbledore allows himself to be hopeful.**

 **Review Prompt: Will Orion earn Rohesia's approval, or what might stand in the way?**

 **Q &A: I would make up a question to compensate for the lack of questions, but I just don't have the mental energy right now. Sorry. You can thwart this in the future by asking questions, any questions at all!**

 **Cheers,**

 **C**


	9. Possibilities

**A/N: Here's the weekly update!**

 **-C**

By the last night of October, Orion was in a slow agony. He'd been patrolling with Rohesia for two months, meeting every other week with just the two of them to discuss the patrol schedules and routes, and discipline patterns. They had shared many gripping conversations, and he'd been close enough to touch her face more times than he dared count, but he'd never dared reach out or ask if he could.

But after the Halloween feast, they patrolled together, starting at the Astronomy Tower and working their way down. She was about to descend the stairs to the floor below the tower, but Orion touched her wrist and she paused, her soft brown eyes full of a question she didn't verbalize.

"I have something I need to tell you," he said, "and…I believe this is a place suitably…private. If you'll indulge me."

She smiled and nodded, moving closer to him again, so his throat seemed to close. What if he told her everything and she laughed at him? What if she was cruel? Or perhaps worse…what if she was terribly nice about the whole thing and said she couldn't possibly feel the same?

But, a small voice said in the back of his head said, what if she doesn't scorn him? What if she comes closer?

"I…. Well, you know, of course, that my name is put forward for your hand," he said softly, a small cloud seeming to pass over her eyes briefly, at the mention of the contracts. "But this is not sufficient," he said quickly. "I…I mean that, it is not enough for you to know what I feel…about you."

She looked up at him through her lashes, long and thick and dark. Something about that look was so…enticing.

"All my life, truly," he said softly, "I have admired you. Not just because of how beautiful you are – and I know of no one more beautiful, or even as beautiful – but…also I admire your strength, your mind, your grace, your voice. I…have yet to learn something about you that I do not admire. And if you believe there is no hope, no way I could ever induce you to choose me as a husband than…perhaps it would be kinder to simply tell me now so I can begin to determine how I'll live a life without you."

His voice barely choked out of his throat as he said those last words, and her eyebrows drew together in a picture of concern, and he felt a flash of fear. She was pitying him. She would turn him away and kindly, the worst way there was to say she couldn't marry him.

Orion turned away, trying to catch his breath, to decide how he would respond when she shattered everything with a few sweetly-spoken words.

"I…I don't know who I'm going to marry," she said softly, and he waited impatiently for the blow, his skin prickling in awful anticipation. "But I do know…that you're a very strong contender."

He blinked, feeling his chest swell before he'd even processed her words. He turned sharply to face her again, eyes wide and pleading. She was smiling her gentle, perfect smile and he felt the world seeming to spin around them as she reached up to touch his cheek with a beautifully delicate hand.

Orion covered her hand with his, his head swimming with this unbelievable fortune. Could she feel a fraction of what he felt for her? Could she someday be his wife?

"You're many things I admire," she said softly, "and I know I would be secure with you, cared for, considered. That's…not true with every wizard. And the more time we spend alone, the more I could see…." She smiled again, a little tighter this time. "But I just don't…. I might be afraid to make a choice. What if I choose the wrong man?"

Orion barely heard the last words. He knew he shouldn't, for so many reasons including propriety, but it felt like Alphard was standing over his shoulder, urging him forward. It was the sort of thing Alphard would think nothing of doing in Orion's shoes, and something Orion wanted so desperately.

He kissed her. He leaned down and pressed his lips softly, briefly to hers – soft pink pillows covering the sweet warmth of her breath. He felt a rush of euphoria at the kiss, at realizing something he'd dreamed of for years. Her eyes were full, stunned, but not outraged at his boldness, and he craved to do it again. But he couldn't, not without her saying it was alright, and for the moment, he was too breathless to ask. Her fingers traced along his jaw, then up his cheek, caressing his skin with soft and sweet fingers. Oh, he ached to kiss her again, to pull her close to him and feel her against him. But he couldn't.

But how he wanted to!

"I'm sorry," he said nervously. "I shouldn't…. I mean, that was…."

"It was sweet," she said, smiling a little. "And I…wouldn't mind…. I mean, if you wouldn't mind, I'd rather like…. That is, there's no one else around to know, and…."

Was she breathless? She sounded a bit breathless, and Orion leaned in again, against all his better judgment, and he kissed her again, enjoying the feel of her lips as he lingered this time, wishing it would never be over. She moved her hand from his face to his neck, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. Orion's hands twitched, but he didn't put them around her body, as much as he wanted to. Some lines should not be crossed so soon.

/-/

As warming and sweet as the kisses were, as much as she wanted to keep asking for another, Rohesia knew they had work to do, and if she arrived back at her dormitory with her hair a mess and her lips swollen from kisses, Isabel and Aldise would be hissing from the scandal of it.

And Aldise couldn't keep her mouth shut.

She pulled away, but made sure to smile so Orion didn't feel it was a snub. He seemed to understand, but his eyes looked at her with such admiring hunger, not the way some men would look at her, but closer to how Alphard looked at her sometimes, when they were mostly alone and he would kiss her hand or rest his head in her lap. She wondered if Orion's hair was as soft as his cousin's.

"We should finish the patrol," she said, barely recognizing her own voice for the breathlessness.

"Of course," Orion said. His tongue darted out to wet his lips for a quick moment, distracting her for another long moment.

"I wouldn't mind," she said softly, "if we…stayed…quiet about the whole thing, you understand. If we…kept others from…. Nothing too improper, mind, but perhaps if we could quietly…get to know each other better. I…would like that very much."

Orion smiled, the first time since he'd touched her wrist that he looked anything except for terrified. He took her hand and raised it to his lips, and in that moment it was like Alphard was there, the feel of their lips on her hand so similar, so familiar and their looks so close that she felt a bit dizzy from the similarities.

"We…should get going," she said, clearing her throat first to normalize her voice. "If…that's…alright."

"Quite," he said softly, nodding. "Yes, of course. I…. Yes."

He held her hand for a long moment before she began to walk down the stairs again. He followed her, close behind her, as he always walked with her, and he let go of her hand most of the way down the stairs. Now as they walked with him a step behind her, she began to think of what it would be like if he kept walking like this, all the way to her dormitory, or all the way to his. Even Alphard had never been bold enough to kiss her, even in his moments of madness. She liked the way it felt, liked the pleasant buzzing about her as an aftermath. She was already thinking of when they could do it again, of how long she could coax him to kiss her in one go. It didn't seem like it would be difficult, if she really wanted it.

The patrol was sweet, him always right behind her. They went to the library, checked on the various landings and classrooms where students would try to hide from patrol. Then he walked with her down to the Slytherin common room and said nothing, just looking at her, not speaking. She decided he was trying to say what he wanted, or do what he wanted, because others might see. There was nothing private about the common room.

"Goodnight," she said, smiling. "I'll…see you at breakfast."

"Yes," he said happily. "Yes, I…look forward to it."

She nodded, watching him go down his corridor before she went down hers, her heart pounding wildly.

/-/

Cygnus watched Orion come in at a later time than usual from patrol, and at first he thought there was some sort of excitement that happened – maybe some kind of alcohol bust – but Orion was looking far too pleased with himself for that to be the case. He had the air of a conqueror, of a king, and Cygnus knew something must have happened that helped his cousin's odds with the contracts. Perhaps he'd had the confidence to finally tell her how he felt, or perhaps she'd said something in his favor. There were many possibilities.

"You're in a good mood," he whispered into the darkness, and Orion stiffened, his shoulders raising slightly, like a startled cat. "Care to tell me about it?"

"Nothing to tell," Orion said, a bit too quickly. "I just…had an uneventful patrol."

"You're running late."

"We were extra thorough," Orion protested. "You know students take advantage of the post-feast to throw parties and cause chaos."

Cygnus smirked, sitting up and giving his cousin a look that said plainly how he did not believe a word, and Orion began to hesitate, glancing around the room to see if others were asleep. Finally, he moved closer and said, "Nothing happened, now go to sleep."

If it weren't for fear of waking others, Cygnus would have laughed. Orion had all but affirmed that something happened, and if Cygnus were less of a good brother, he would have told Alphard first thing. Orion would likely say something to Alphard, and Rohesia might even do the same if it were a truly significant step forward.

Instead, Cygnus said goodnight to his cousin and laid back on his pillow, closing his eyes and thinking of how the wedding would be, when Rohesia became a Black. A large affair, certainly. Everyone they knew present, including those who lost out on the contract. Alphard might be one of the groomsmen, and Cygnus certainly would. How odd would it be, all three Blacks up front, two of them staring at the bride?

/-/

Isabel watched Rohesia as she came in from her rounds with Orion Black, seeming to be in a daze, but a pleasant one. She went into the attached bathroom and Isabel sat up slightly, watching the door close, listening for any kind of water going. There was a light humming, like Rohesia was singing softly to herself, but no water. On a whim, Isabel crawled out of bed, going through to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Rohesia started slightly, but went back to staring in the mirror, playing with her hair, rubbing her lips together as she hummed.

"Good patrol?" Isabel teased, and Rohesia smiled slightly, but otherwise did and said nothing different. "How's Orion?"

At this, Rohesia visibly swallowed, traced her fingers through her hair, and smiled.

"He's fine," Rohesia said, before meeting Isabel's eye in the mirror and laughing slightly. "Oh, don't look at me like that, it's nothing…well…. Anyway, he's very sweet, isn't he?"

"Yes," Isabel said, smiling. "Handsome, too."

"Yes," Rohesia said thoughtfully. She traced a hand along her jaw. "You won't tell Aldise, will you?"

"Depends," Isabel teased. She'd never tell Aldise anything – she couldn't keep her mouth shut. "Just what happened?"

Rohesia smiled, sighed, and quickly explained Orion's profession of his feelings, the kiss, and how sweet and romantic it was. Isabel mused there was one thing in Orion's favor over his cousin – Alphard would never have been so romantic and sweet, no matter what.

/-/

A week before Christmas, a letter from Walburga arrived for Aldise with the morning post. It was odd enough that it gathered the attention of several Slytherins – including her brother and her cousin.

"She asked for some hair tips," Aldise lied smoothly. "I imagine she wants to discuss how they worked. If you'll excuse me. Hair is a very private matter."

Cygnus had actually laughed, and she hoped Walburga would forgive her the small fib, but no one followed her to the toilet, where she read the letter with a growing grin.

Randolph had a word with Arcturus, who had a word with Pollux. Whether it went further than that, for the moment, Walburga couldn't say, but apparently Walburga was confident Rohesia's surname would never be Black.

 _As it happens,_ the letter read, _my father will be making an important announcement on my behalf at the Christmas event. I know I can count on your support when the time comes. It has all been rather sudden, rushed, and even a bit hushed, so there will certainly be whispers. I want to assure you now, nothing improper has occurred, and I expect I can count on you to set the record straight – that it is more a matter of my age and making certain of appropriate childbearing age when I marry. You understand._

Aldise certainly did understand. Walburga, as any sensible woman would be, was worried of being an old maid her whole life. And although Walburga was a lady from a highly respectable family, there was a bit of a glut of daughters in their era, and some would have to be maids, while others might have to marry late – like Walburga. Whatever the news, Aldise knew this was a good start for her own prospects.

/-/

Oliver narrowed his eyes as he watched Rohesia and Orion whispering over their notes. Of course, in theory, they could be discussing coursework or the Prefect rounds, or even their packing for Christmas, but there was something in the way they looked at each other that suggested otherwise to Oliver. He was no great expert in matters of the heart – and he certainly didn't think his father tossing his name in the ring would ever win him Rohesia, especially when he wasn't certain he even wanted her – but he had a strong suspicion Orion was closer than anyone else to winning the prize.

And given Orion's previous inability to string together two sentences in her presence, Oliver was astonished.

/-/

Adam began his packing for the holiday with a heavy mind. His sister told him when she had tea with Cygnus's mother recently, Pollux and Arcturus were behaving strangely, secretively. And Walburga Black seemed far too pleased with herself about something. And that was never a good thing. Something was wrong – but what, he couldn't begin to guess.

/-/

Albus Dumbledore was a great believer in intuition. Not premonition, exactly, although he knew such things did exist genuinely, if in a lesser amount than most wished to believe. But as he watched the students file out of the castle to catch the train back to London, snow falling around them, as he watched how close together Orion Black and Rohesia Fawley walked together, he should have felt pleased for them. But Albus's instincts were giving him a strong sense of foreboding, and he watched them walk with the sensation that all the things he thought had worked so well were about to crumble.

/-/

Orion arrived back in London and went straight home with his father, who said nothing to him, but was certainly behaving very strangely. Orion supposed his father must be involved in something very important in business or politics. It was the only thing that made him so distractible.

He sat in his bedroom, staring at a shelf full of books, and he thought of all the things he would put on the bookshelves to please Rohesia once they were married. He thought of how she'd been when they were alone together, on the train, in the Prefects' compartment. He closed his eyes, thinking of how her hair had felt through his fingers as he brushed a few strands off her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said sweet things he barely heard for the sound of rushing in his ears.

The feel of her lips was always special, but something about kissing on the train, and finally putting his hands to her waist and hold her close….

Something he would do every day, someday. He just wished he could do it right now.

/-/

Rohesia stood in the front garden, examining each wintering plant as she did every year upon arriving home. Her father was watching, almost amused, and he asked if she'd given the contracts some thought.

"I have been thinking," she assured him. She thought of Orion, and the way he'd held her close as they kissed. He was warm, comfortable, sweet. If she couldn't have Alphard, Orion really didn't seem so bad. "I expect I'll have my decision soon."

"Do make it soon," he said, his voice a bit tighter. "Some of the parents, and even some of the young men are growing a bit restless. It's not like robe shopping. The merchandise are allowed to change their minds."

She laughed and said she'd keep that in mind, but she knew it wasn't a problem. Not with Orion Black.

 **A/N: So, Orion makes his move, Rohesia reacts positively, and Walburga is scheming.**

 **Review Prompt: What's the big Christmas announcement?**

 **Q &A: Ask me questions! I'll answer anything!**

 **-C**


	10. Stumbling Block

**A/N: Here's your regular weekly update! Remember, fifteen reviews in a week in any part of the series, bonus chapter in both running stories!**

 **-C**

The annual Christmas party was held at the home of the Greengrass family, and Magnus paid his respects to both Hankin and Isabel before he found Alphard sitting in a corner with a glass of firewhiskey, watching his cousin speaking in a low voice with Rohesia Fawley.

"I see they've grown close in a handful of months," Magnus said, nodding toward them, although Alphard didn't look up at the sound of Magnus's voice. He just grunted his response. Magnus sighed and said, "I suppose she'll change her name to Black after all. Are you pleased?"

"Yes," Alphard lied.

Magnus hummed, glancing around the party. Randolph watched the whispering pair with narrowed eyes, and Walburga looked at Rohesia like she wanted to rip bits of her off with her bare hands. Magnus supposed she was capable of such things.

And Alphard continued to watch Rohesia with such hunger, as though he couldn't help himself, no matter what he'd done to help his cousin win the contract. Magnus adored Rohesia as much as any man, perhaps more than some, but he wondered what it would be like to feel about anything the way Alphard clearly felt about Rohesia Fawley.

"I've heard there's some grand announcement Pollux is making," Magnus said, wondering if Alphard knew what was going on. "Or maybe it was Arcturus. Do you know what that's all about?"

"Haven't got a clue," Alphard said, his hand twitching toward his cigarette case, but he restrained himself, downing another large gulp of firewhiskey, instead.

It didn't take long for the announcement. Once the last of the families arrived – the Malfoys – attention was gathered, and both Arcturus and Pollux stood at a higher place, atop the short stairs that led into the sunken ballroom. The room was silent, all eyes on the two powerful men.

"It is with great pleasure," Pollux announced, not exactly seeming pleased, by Magnus's standards, "that I announce the engagement of my daughter…"

He gestured to Walburga, and Alphard snorted softly at the idea of his sister marrying anyone.

"To my son," Arcturus finished, gesturing to Orion, who looked stunned, unlike Walburga. Alphard stood abruptly, shaking his head, staring at his cousin, then up to his father and uncle, then back to Orion.

And Rohesia stared for a moment before people began to whisper and even cheer and clap. Almost as soon as the sounds began, Orion tried to say something to her, but she burst out of the ballroom, snapping the French doors open out into the garden and patio, and Alphard hurried after her, shaking his head at a very bewildered Orion.

Magnus, seeing Orion's distress, and noting that Walburga was heading his way, decided to do the kind thing and brought the other Black a glass of firewhiskey.

"You didn't know?" he asked softly.

"I had a contract in for Rohesia," Orion said, his voice dry and shaky. "I…asked for that contract. I…. My father had been supportive. I don't understand. I don't…."

He seemed close to tears, and Magnus gave Walburga his most stern gaze, knowing nothing short of it would make her stay away. She sniffed and went to have a word with Aldise Yaxley, which was odd enough in itself, but Magnus had to protect Orion when he was like this. The poor kid had only just figured out how to talk to the girl of his dreams, and now he was being married off to his second cousin who was…less than an ideal woman in many respects.

"What are you going to do?" Magnus asked.

"What can I do?" Orion said mournfully, his eyes going to his father, whose face was hard and unreadable. "It's been announced. I'm sure the paperwork is all in place. I have to marry Walburga."

Magnus couldn't help think this was the difference between Alphard and Orion. Had Pollux tried to force Alphard into marrying anyone, Alphard would have simply walked away from the family, or found a way to win the argument and stay. But Orion, he didn't have the strength for that. He'd been told, along with everyone else in their world, what was expected of him, and now he felt he must do it, never mind how he felt, nor how Rohesia would feel about the whole mess.

"I suppose Alphard will put his name in now," Magnus said without thinking, and he was surprised to see Orion's fists tighten.

"No," he said, firmly. So firmly, Magnus almost saw the uncanny resemblance between the two cousins, something he so typically thought was merely familial. "No."

Magnus decided it was better not to press the matter, not while everyone was still so emotional, but he saw, in the garden, the shape of Alphard hugging Rohesia to his chest, comforting her, perhaps as she cried.

Whatever Orion wanted to believe, Magnus thought perhaps this was Alphard's good fortune, his chance for happiness.

Against all odds.

Walburga couldn't be held off forever, however, and Magnus sank away to the side of the room, finding himself a glass of water. As much as he wanted more booze on a night like this, it was better to keep his wits about him. What a thing to say to a hurting Orion Black. Magnus felt a fool.

/-/

Cygnus asked his sister what she'd done, but Walburga was tightlipped. It wasn't until Isabel Greengrass approached that he began to get a picture of how something like this could happen.

"Cygnus," Isabel said softly, with a tight smile. "Druella, dear. I've heard some big book is going to be published in the History of Magic sector. Have you heard about this?"

"I expect my dear sister will run her finger down the index and count the mentions of Black," Cygnus said darkly. "How interesting that she managed an engagement without having to change her beloved surname."

Isabel hummed and glanced at Aldise before she said, "It's political, you know."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I think Rohesia put her foot in it a bit, made a comment about how it didn't matter if a Mudblood was top of the year if she'd earned it." Druella's eyes darkened, and Cygnus recognized it as a commentary of Druella and Alphard's year, where the Mudblood girl had topped even Alphard. "Anyway, you know how it is, saying a thing like that in our world, and she said it in front of Aldise."

"Can't keep her mouth shut," Cygnus sighed, understanding perfectly.

"But surely Aldise would know what a thing like that repeated would mean for Rohesia," Druella said, frowning. "I can't believe she would be so cruel, to damage Rohesia's marriage prospects so materially."

Cygnus wasn't so sure. Aldise was a girl who had her own sights set very high, rather higher than her name alone could get her. He strongly suspected Aldise had done…whatever she'd done on purpose.

/-/

After shrugging off Aldise Yaxley, Randolph slipped into the back garden, watching Alphard Black smoke one of those hideous Muggle cigarettes as he spoke to Rohesia. They weren't crossing any lines of propriety, but they were sitting too close for Randolph's liking. He couldn't see well from his vantage point, but Randolph thought they might even be holding hands on that stupid bench they were sitting on.

Orion Black was one thing, Randolph knew, but if Alphard put his name forward, if he insisted on a contract, he would find a way to marry her, and he was strong enough to submit it on his own behalf, regardless of the wishes of Pollux Black. And it was clear to everyone with eyes that Rohesia adored Alphard. If such a thing were to happen, Randolph knew it would be too expensive, too dangerous to possess her. Alphard wasn't a man to be trifled with, despite his family's birth order.

Randolph tried to think of a way to turn things to his advantage again, to keep Alphard from putting forward his own contract for her hand. No doubt from the moment it was put forth, she'd snap it up. It couldn't be circumvented – it had to be stopped before it began.

But his plans did not form. Randolph had always prided himself in seeing a possibility in every situation and circumstance, but nothing unfolded for him, nothing presented itself as possible and practical.

He thought of Tom Riddle's insistence he focus on his work, on his quest for power and his sworn servitude to Tom rather than the pull of desire for a woman….

But Tom couldn't possibly understand. Tom did not have Randolph's weakness. Not just any woman would do. It had to be Rohesia Fawley, and if he couldn't figure out how to have her within the confines of a marriage bond – and it was looking as though only pure luck could gain him that now – he would find a way to have her, regardless. Alphard was a hurdle more difficult than his cousin.

But nothing was impossible.

Randolph turned back in for another glass of firewhiskey, confident.

/-/

Aldise sniffed and accepted another glass of wine as Isabel glided her way, eyes dark. She didn't understand, not like Aldise did. It was all necessary, all for the good of every young woman of their age.

"Out of the arms of one Black and into the arms of another," she said with a sneer as Rohesia and Alphard began their return from the stone-cold gardens. They were on the patio now, and Aldise supposed he'd smoked several of those disgusting Muggle things. "Repulsive."

"If either Orion or Alphard Black were falling over themselves to marry you, you wouldn't find it so repulsive," Isabel said coldly.

Aldise blinked, wondering where all this hostility was coming from. No reason for anyone to be hostile toward her, surely.

"Well, I meant more her behavior, obviously," Aldise said, glancing toward Randolph, who was watching the pair with interest.

A bit too much interest. She hadn't even managed to get him to ask her to dance. What was she doing wrong?

"She's your friend, Aldise."

"That doesn't mean I must approve of all her ideas and actions," Aldise said, sniffing again.

"You mean her politics."

Aldise narrowed her eyes at the furious Isabel, and she knew Isabel knew what she'd done – but as usual, she didn't seem to understand the importance of why she'd done it, and was siding once again with Rohesia. As though such things were…simple. As though the loyalty of friendship was unwavering. Surely Isabel was not so naïve to believe in black and white.

"She can have any man she wants, you know," Aldise said coldly. "Snap her fingers and they all wag their tongues."

"Not all of them," Isabel said. "Cygnus, for one."

"I'm not convinced he wouldn't," Aldise said with a sniff. "If he thought his brother would not find out, I think he would have a go, anyway. Not marriage, but…."

"Don't be so vulgar!" Isabel hissed. "Rohesia is a lady, which is more than I think of you right now."

Aldise bit back the harsh response dancing on the edge of her tongue as Isabel stormed outside to have words with Alphard and Rohesia. In anger, Isabel was capable of nearly anything, and she was nothing next to the other two. Aldise decided it was perhaps prudent to melt into a crowd of people, disappear to look at the little children in the music room. Safer.

/-/

As the party was breaking up, Cygnus and Druella still lingered on the far end of the ballroom, by the patio. She knew he was agitated, that he was upset with Aldise and Walburga, with his father and his uncle, and seemingly even with his cousin.

"He's going to marry her," Cygnus said coldly.

"A commitment's been made," Druella said with a shrug. "What else can he do?"

"He didn't make that commitment," Cygnus insisted. "He didn't even know about it before it was made!"

"You know that's not important," she said, but she knew it didn't change now Cygnus felt about it. And even Druella had to admit, she'd never seen anything so heartbreaking as Rohesia with red eyes and tears clinging to her lashes.

/-/

After all the excitement and drama of Christmas, Boxing Day was dull, and Oliver felt the new year creeping closer with familiar joy. He wanted to go back to school, where things were relatively simple and adults couldn't interfere in daily life. He wanted to see things be normal again, to learn that somehow the whole Christmas even was just a bad dream where nobody was happy except Walburga Black, who was never happy.

He read his newspaper, letting himself get sucked into a pre-release interview of Bathilda Bagshot, whose new book, _A History of Magic_ , was being released on the first of the year, and apparently promised to be the definitive resource on magical history to this point.

/-/

Albus heard the news, but he hadn't believed it until he saw the announcement in the paper: Walburga and Orion Black, engaged to be married, contracts signed and filed.

He couldn't imagine how Orion felt about this, how Rohesia was managing this news. She had seemed very keen on the young man, and to have him snatched out from under her with no warning.

It stank of politics to Albus, and he had a good nose for such things. He wondered how the pair would manage to work together when they returned to Hogwarts, and if he and Professor Dippet would have to step in between the Head Boy and Girl as they hadn't had to do for several years, now.

He didn't think so. At least, he hoped not. Orion was not a fighter, and would likely defer to Rohesia in everything. And while Rohesia would be furious, hurt, humbled, she would be professional about the whole thing, and they would be alright.

At least, in the short term.

If Alphard did not step up, if what ought to be done was not done, Albus had a strong sense the coming years would be much darker than they needed to be, and not simply for Rohesia and Alphard. People like them rarely had their happiness as a private matter. Their happiness, or unhappiness, were tired into a much larger picture, and once the paths were decided, it became bigger than their own control.

/-/

Orion stood in his father's study, staring at the floor, saying nothing as he waited for his father to explain how such a thing could happen, how Orion could go from the happiest man in the world to a waking nightmare in moments, and how it didn't seem to end.

"It is a matter of politics, Orion," his father said sternly. "Rohesia has been tainted by her father's politics. It's quite possible her closeness to your cousin hasn't done any good, although for him or for her, I cannot say. The fact remains, she will not be a suitable bride for my heir. And Walburga's blood and politics are more than suitable."

"She's my cousin," Orion said softly.

"Second cousin," his father said with a nod, finally looking up from his papers. "Yes. It is not about…love, Orion. Happiness comes from understanding. Your mother and I understood each other, understood what was expected of each of us, and moved forward from there. Walburga understands what the expectations are. Do you?"

As much as he wished he didn't, Orion said yes, sir, he did. The expectations were to follow the political line their fathers had laid down, to expand the influence of the Black family name in the right circles, to maintain the purity of the line, and to raise at least one son – ideally two – who would be raised in those same ideals.

All very simple. All perfectly possible with Rohesia, Orion thought, but obviously not what his father and uncle thought.

"I love her," Orion finally choked out, already terrified as his father looked up again, slowly this time.

"You'll get over it," his father said coolly, and all Orion could do was retreat to his own room.

/-/

Alphard still felt the wind had been knocked from him as he sat in his bedroom, ignoring the dithering of his sister, loudly discussing what her wedding would be like. He rubbed absently at his temple without giving too much attention to the dull ache in his head.

Rohesia had cried on Alphard's shoulder for much of the Christmas party, and he still couldn't seem to forget the weight of her body leaning against him, the way her hand felt in his, the strange melding of beauty and horror that was watching and hearing her cry. He never wanted her to hurt for any reason….

But he felt responsible. He'd pushed them together, helped Orion find his confidence, helped Isabel and Cygnus to gently tip the pair in the right direction. He'd even tried to be happy for them, and they had seemed so happy.

Now, they were both devastated, and all for politics.

Alphard was angry, he was pained, but even through that he could feel the beginnings of a glimmer of hope. A dangerous thing, but he wouldn't mind at all if it meant giving up his family, walking away from anything. Alphard knew the contracts meant something to Rohesia, but he could submit one independently now he was of age. He didn't legally have to have a penny. If she felt even a hint of all he felt for her, the money wouldn't matter.

He closed his eyes, imagining how he would tell her why he'd tried to stay away so long. He began to imagine, for the first time he'd ever dared, a small wedding on her father's land, maybe as soon as she graduated, just the two of them and witnesses. He wouldn't bother with a honeymoon – he'd just carry her up to her bedroom and slowly peel off their clothes, spending long as he could, worshipping her body, touching her everywhere, tasting her everywhere, feeling the euphoria and intoxication of being inside of her, driving her mad with pleasure.

Alphard cleared his throat lightly, opening his eyes again as he felt himself growing hard. He stared at the ceiling and sniffed, trying not to smile. She'd only just gone through a terrible disappointment, and he wouldn't dare put himself forward, not yet. He'd wait, talk to Orion first, then gauge how she was feeling. Perhaps Easter, he thought mildly, already closing his eyes again and imagining how her lips tasted, how her fingers would feel on his neck. It didn't take long and he was imagining how he would tell her every day, twice a day at least, for the rest of their lives how he loved her.

 **A/N: So, Orion and Walburga are engaged, Alphard is thinking of putting his name forward, and Aldise has alienated her friends.**

 **Review Prompt: Is Orion doing the right thing, following protocol and the wishes of his family, or should he have done something else?**

 **Q &A: Ask anything! I'll answer questions for literally anything.**

 **-C**


	11. Fight

**A/N: Everybody say thank you to guest reviewer, Amy! She's earned the first bonus chapter on Parts 0 and 4! Cheers, Amy!**

 **-C**

Magnus could see Alphard's good spirits, and although Alphard wouldn't say why, Magnus unofficially kissed his chances of marrying Rohesia Fawley goodbye. Nothing else could possibly make his friend so happy. Nothing else could ever mean as much.

"So, Orion didn't know about the engagement, I suppose?" Magnus asked. "He looked a bit shocked."

"Quite," Alphard said darkly. "My sister got hold of information about Rohesia's politics somehow and manipulated someone into manipulating our fathers. I expect one of the suitors. Wasn't you, was it?"

"Do you think I care what her politics are?" Magnus said with a laugh. "I don't have any politics of my own, anyway. Could have been anyone, though."

"No," Alphard said sternly. "It had to be someone with enough clout to convince my father and Uncle Arcturus about it. Poor Orion, though. I'd been certain Rohesia would have put an end to the house-elf heads on the wall."

Magnus might have laughed if it were worth laughing about. The Blacks were well-respected, and certainly not alone in many of their beliefs, but certain members of the family going back generations had done some…unusual things.

"Maybe Walburga will?"

"Oh, Merlin, no," Alphard said with an uncomfortable laugh. "My sister's been trying to talk our mother into mimicking it in our home since she was about ten. Mercifully, my mother is a woman of good sense and taste. Hey, where can we go so I can smoke?"

February was still cold, but they walked out into the garden, Magnus bundled up, Alphard not bothering. Talking about his family always drove Alphard to the cigarettes, and Magnus felt an idiot for not changing the topic. But he didn't really know what to change it to. Alphard still lived at home, still dealt primarily with his own family concerns as he wasn't involved in politics of philanthropy, and Magnus was his only friend, as far as Magnus was aware.

"Still sneaking around in Muggle circles?" Magnus asked, on a last-ditch effort to change the topic.

"Oh," Alphard said with a soft smile, "not for a couple of months."

Not since he knew his cousin was not going to marry Rohesia.

"You said you were still going to support him," Magnus said coldly, and Alphard blinked, puzzled.

"What?"

"Orion. When it happened, you told me you were still going to find a way to talk Orion around."

"Well, I'm going to try," Alphard said, rubbing his jaw, exhaling smoke with his words. "There's, erm, not a whole lot of hope, but I'll talk to them both. Not together. Dunno if they'll have figured out how to talk about it by then. Without shouting. Rohesia likes to shout when she's upset, you know. If she feels safe to. But, erm, Orion feels the pressure of doing what the family expects, much more than I ever did. I don't know he's going to be talked around, don't know he's able to be talked around. Even if Rohesia could get over the blow to her pride."

"Proud woman?" Magnus asked with a small smile.

"Name me a beautiful, intelligent woman who isn't," Alphard said with a smirk. "Look, there's some hope, and I am going to give it my best, but…well, allow me to have a tiniest bit of hope. I've never dared have it before."

"You'd marry her?" Magnus said, feeling his own chest sinking. "Even if your family cut you off, disowned you, and maybe you even had to get a job?"

"What job?" Alphard said with a small yelp of laugher. "Magnus, she's got enough to support us both. And anyway, once the old guard dies, long as Orion doesn't let my sister knock him about, I know I'll be welcomed back by my own generation. Orion and I have always been close, and Cygnus is a good, sensible brother marrying a good, sensible woman."

Magnus wasn't so sure Orion would be willing to welcome Alphard back with open arms if he married Rohesia, but he'd already been asked not to quell Alphard's glimmer of hope, so Magnus said nothing, thinking only how his own hopes seemed to be going up in smoke with every puff his best friend blew into the garden air.

If nothing else, Magnus thought bitterly, Rohesia did still have a choice. She might not want to marry a man without a knut to his name, might not want to marry someone who was an outcast in their world. Magnus would still have plenty to offer, and without Orion Black in the picture, his biggest competition was Randolph Lestrange.

Well, he couldn't quite compare with Randolph's wealth, but they were about equal in looks, Magnus supposed, and unlike Randolph, Magnus was kind and openminded. Randolph had a reputation for cruelty, and no qualms with causing pain to get his way. Magnus remembered impromptu duels in the garden when they were children, sneaking the wands of parents or older children.

He remembered losing to Randolph, and feeling the pain of the loss doubly because Randolph always gave one last sting as a reminder that he'd dared challenge someone his better. As if Magnus would have forgot.

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Albus Dumbledore calmly listened to Rohesia Fawley give the latest report, Orion Black sitting silently beside her, not looking up, not looking at Rohesia, and certainly not looking at Albus. The young man appeared to be gazing at his own fingers, which was not a behavior Albus had ever associated with Orion. But he'd done quite a lot of it, since Christmas.

"That all sounds very good, thank you both," Albus said when Rohesia finished the report, and he glanced at both of them. They sensed their dismissal, and the pair stood, starting to leave his office. "Oh, one more thing," he said, smiling. They both turned to look at him, puzzled. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Orion appeared as though about to be sick, and Rohesia's nostrils flared slightly as she began to blink rapidly, blurting out uncomfortable thanks before she rushed out of the room. Orion closed his eyes for a moment before following her out slowly, without a word.

/-/

Alphard licked his lips, writing, as he did every year, an anonymous card for Rohesia. It always came to her the day after Valentine's Day, so she had her own special day where she received admiration, separate from the rest of the girls she knew. Of course, a young woman with her beauty would receive many cards of admiration, but Alphard could not help putting his back in the mix, especially with the tickling of hope he had.

Because what if she knew it was him, somehow? If anyone could know, it was Rohesia. No one knew him better, not his brother, not his cousin, not even Magnus. Alphard was convinced she knew him best.

He finished an adequate poem about her beauty, grace, and great intelligence. Not as good as two years gone, but one must move forward. Couldn't just be lazy and recycle his best. Rohesia deserved fresh words each year. He'd do it more often, if he felt he could get away with it.

With a few simple but effective charms, Alphard decorated the card, just enough to be worth admiring without being gaudy. A little lace, a bit of gilding, color-changing spells to the ink.

It would do.

He carefully enveloped the card and addressed it in block letters she wouldn't recognize as his – he thought – and he said he was going out.

He always mailed them from Hogsmeade. He'd started it at school, and so sneaking out to Hogsmeade had been simple enough. But now it was for consistency, and perhaps to make it even harder for her to think of who was sending it. A student could easily send a letter from Hogsmeade, avoid the school owls. And someone who graduated might not keep bothering with that step.

He wondered what she thought of his cards, and he supposed someday he would ask her. Someday, he thought with a smile, when he was her husband, waking up beside her every morning, curling up with her, kissing every part of her face. He felt a rush of excitement as he reached the gate and he had half a mind to sneak to the school, to tell her right away exactly how he felt.

But it wasn't the time, and he went to post his card instead.

/-/

Rohesia hastily wiped at her eyes as she heard and approach, and she could sense it was Orion without him announcing himself. He hesitated, looking down at her where she sat in the Charms Courtyard, and she didn't look up as he approached.

"Rohesia," he said softly, his voice tight, strained. They'd not managed to speak more than a few words at a time to each other since Christmas, and he'd certainly not spoken her name since then. She felt a dull ache as she thought of how he'd whispered that he wanted to find some place in the garden to hide so he could kiss her. And then a moment later, he was engaged to someone else.

"What do you want?" she asked coolly.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Oh, damn him and his utter sincerity. She'd believed that sincerity once. Now she just felt a rush of fury at this supposed apology. What apology could she dare accept after he treated her that way.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," he said, almost urgently.

"Why would your father do something like that, then?" she said, presuming he was honest and he hadn't known, somehow.

"Apparently he decided your…politics…would be a detriment to the line," he said, rubbing his jaw. "I told him…. I tried to convince him otherwise, after the event, but he…. Well, he didn't listen."

Rohesia's nostrils flared and she finally looked up at Orion, his gray eyes shining with unshed tears, but none of them reaching his voice. That almost made her angrier.

She shook her head and spat, "Are you a man, or aren't you?"

"I'm sorry?" he asked, puzzled.

Oh, that made it all so much worse. Had she said that to Alphard, he would have known in a moment what she meant, he would have been infuriated by it, he would have acted. Orion, he didn't even know what she was talking about.

"Are you going to let someone else dictate your future, or are you going to make your own choices?" she asked coolly.

It seemed to sink in, what she was asking, and his eyes went wide at the thought of defying his father's wishes. Alphard, he would have dropped everything, followed her anywhere. She didn't have a doubt.

And then a tiny voice reminded her Alphard hadn't put in a contract, and perhaps he didn't feel what she felt, after all. But for now, she brushed that off. For now, what mattered was this mess with Orion.

"My family," he said softly, "is…all I have to offer you, Rohesia."

That did it. As far as she was concerned, not only was Orion beyond reaching, but she didn't want him, after all.

"Your family never figured into the offer, as far as I was concerned," she said coldly. "And that you could think so little of me tells me exactly where we stand."

She stood abruptly, scooping up her bookbag and ignoring him as he called after her. She knew her pride was the most hurt by all this, and perhaps she was being too hard on him, but she couldn't see past his unwillingness to fight for her. He couldn't possibly love what he wouldn't fight for.

/-/

Cygnus said nothing when Orion returned, blinking back tears, in the middle of a Sunday. It wasn't lost on Cygnus that it was Valentine's Day, a day when Cygnus would have thought Rohesia and Orion would be all sappy and disgusting.

If not for Christmas.

Orion went straight for the attached bathroom, and Cygnus knew the impromptu mid-day shower was to cover the sounds of Orion's pain, not because he needed a second shower several hours after the first.

Oliver Nott, who had been working on his Ancient Runes project on his bed, looked up, astonished, and said, "Is he alright?"

"He'll be fine," Cygnus said softly.

Eventually, Cygnus thought bitterly. The question was, how far away was eventually?

Rohesia was a very proud girl, Cygnus knew. It was her birthright to be a bit proud, and it didn't hurt that eyes had been on her practically since she was born. She wouldn't take this sort of a snub lightly, and perhaps she shouldn't. But it wouldn't help Orion, who was a man mainly devoid of pride and desire, if he came up against her pride and lost.

Which was probably what happened. And no Alphard around to talk her down.

Cygnus thought about going into the bathroom, pretend to brush his teeth, then ask how he was doing, but it wasn't going to help Orion if Orion didn't feel like talking, and Cygnus felt it might be too soon to press. Instead, he pressed the heel of his hand to his head, thinking of all the things he might say later.

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"We could do a Christmas wedding," Walburga's mother said with a small smile. "A one-year engagement, some sentiment. Gives us plenty of time to build up the excitement."

"No, sooner, I think," Walburga said, careful not to sound anxious. The sooner she married, the more chances they had to have a child, as they could start earlier. She was a fair amount older than Orion, and she would need to get started right away. "Summer. Remember, mother, you'll be announcing Cygnus and Druella's engagement, soon enough. They'll want to marry quickly, perhaps in the winter. There won't be time to have them married in the summer, so we'll want a wedding right away for myself and Orion."

Her mother's eyes were knowing, but she said nothing against the plan, suggesting August. It gave time to do the engagement party for her brother first, gave time for the June events to be over, and allowed time for Orion to get his exam results and learn his place and expectations in the family.

Walburga said that was all fine, and it was.

"Honeymoon will have to be a bit simpler," her mother said thoughtfully. "We won't have time to plan anything grand. But I suppose Orion won't mind. He's never needed to be pampered. What about the family villa?"

"France?" Walburga asked, frowning slightly.

Strictly speaking, she didn't approve of the French. She doubted she'd ever go to the villa, but it sounded as though she wouldn't have much of an option. As she recalled, the villa was suitably secluded. And she thought she might be able to convince Orion to seclude it further. Perhaps even put some more protections and seclusions on the Grimmauld Place property. Walburga liked her privacy, after all.

"France it is, I suppose," she sniffed.

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Isabel smoothed her best friend's hair, letting Rohesia sob into her pillow. She didn't ask what was wrong. She didn't have to. Rohesia had been due for her Head meeting with Professor Dumbledore, and Orion would have been there. On Valentine's Day of all days, it seemed impossible the levy wouldn't break under such a weight. They must have fought, Isabel supposed. Rohesia wasn't the type to simply break down under stress.

If only Alphard were still around. He always knew how to cheer her up. To cheer everyone up, actually. He knew how to have a good time, more than anyone Isabel had ever met.

"Professor Slughorn told me your project was stunning," Isabel said softly, letting her fingers trace through Rohesia's soft, dark hair. "He doesn't know what you're going to do to improve it in the time left. He says it's practically perfect. Of course, I told him I expected you'd marvel him. Have you got something up your sleeve, or have you made a liar of me?"

Rohesia laughed weakly, watery, into the pillow. She tried to wipe her eyes, but when she found she couldn't catch her breath enough to speak, her only answer was a shrug.

Isabel hummed, pressing her teeth into her bottom lip, wondering what to do about her dear friend. Pain was natural, and grieving the loss of something one looked forward to was undoubtedly healthy, but Isabel couldn't stand all these tears, and it was dreadfully unproductive. She summoned the brandy from Rohesia's trunk, pouring it carefully, and entreating her friend to sit up so she could sip some.

It did its work, calmed her enough that she could speak.

"I'm so angry," Rohesia said softly. "More than anything else, I'm so angry with him. It's all about politics, Issy."

"I did suspect," Isabel said with a small frown.

"His family is nervous about my polluting the line somehow, and he won't even stand up to them. He won't just do what he wants. How could he care about me at all if he won't fight for me?"

"Fighting takes many different forms," Isabel said with a small shrug. "Orion's not…. Well, he's not Alphard, darling. Being the head of the family is very ingrained in him. When Arcturus dies, Orion will be the head of the family, whatever his age. And he's been trained to be prepared for that. The politics matter to them. It's not a little thing in his world. And he's not…as strong as Alphard. Not as individual. I don't think it means he cares any less."

Rohesia clearly didn't buy it, romantic that she was and she sniffed, taking a few more sips of brandy as Isabel gently wiped her cheeks for her.

"He can't have ever loved me," Rohesia said stubbornly. "Love fights. And he's not fighting. He can't have loved me at all."

Isabel wasn't sure she agreed, but it wouldn't do any good to argue when her dear friend was like this. Instead, she refilled the glass and rubbed Rohesia's back as she began to calm.

 **A/N: So, Alphard is hopeful, Orion isn't letting go of his place in the family, and Rohesia is convinced he doesn't love her.**

 **Review Prompt: What do you think love is?**

 **Q &A:**

 **Q: Have you and your friends or family ever had the same love interest? (Amy)**

 **A: Ha, well, family? No. My eldest sister is six years older, so we wouldn't have shared guys. My other sister was basically asexual all through school. Still kind of is. As for friends? How do I put this?**

 **My first boyfriend, let's call him J. Nice guy, the only ex I'm still kind of friendly with. I broke up with him pretty amicably. Then my High School Best Friend, A, was dating J's best friend, S. I broke them up because my Middle School Best Friend, X, was interested in him. X and S didn't last very long, and S and I dated for a while. We broke up before high school, and then through the first couple of years of high school, he dated my Elementary school best friend, K. I also had a tiny friends-with-benefits thing going with J toward the end of high school, so it all came full circle. We were a big ugly, pass-the-boyfriend mess. At graduating, all four of us were like, "Why did we even date him?" Actually, just after I broke up with S, I joined the early-morning choir, which was about eight people. A, X, and S were also in it. That poor choir director.**

 **Cheers!**

 **C**


	12. Tumbling Down

**A/N: Here's your regular weekly update! Good to see reviews ticking up for both parts… remember, reviews to any of the five parts of this story can help earn bonus chapters! Well over a hundred chapters out there to review, and more every week!**

 **-C**

Aldise strolled through the Easter event. Oliver Nott's family was hosting this year, and she tried to find someone she could catch eye contact with, someone she could talk to, as Isabel wanted nothing to do with her, and Rohesia was sulking in a corner still, waiting for Alphard to arrive.

So dull.

Walburga was telling anyone who would listen about her upcoming wedding date, and Orion grabbed Aldise's arm at the elbow, tugging her toward the music room.

"You've got to tell Rohesia to talk to me," he said earnestly, almost sternly, and Aldise blinked, not entirely certain it was Orion speaking to her like this. He was not usually so…pointed. "Please," he added abruptly, as if to soothe her surprise.

It didn't help.

"Why?" she asked, very perplexed.

"Because she won't speak to me," he said, eyes narrowed. "And I need her to speak to me if she's ever to understand."

Aldise looked him up and down, realizing he was talking about how he'd been hoping to marry Rohesia, but his engagement put an end to everything, abruptly. It might explain why Rohesia was still so sulky, and perhaps partly explained why Isabel was so high-and-mighty.

"I can't help you," Aldise said, raising an eyebrow. "You're better off without her anyway."

She was shocked when he squeezed her arm at this, and she gasped, backing away from him, feeling afraid for the first time.

Seeming to realize what he'd done, Orion let go of her arm as if her skin had burned him and he hurried out to the back of the ballroom, to follow the patio out to the garden. Aldise stared after him, frowning.

Surely, he would be happy to be spared the political scandal. His family would be kept pure. Yes, Rohesia was pretty, but there were things more important.

Alphard arrived, later than the rest of his family, strolling into the foyer and letting his eyes lazily graze the people. He frowned at his sister before looking toward the corner of the ballroom, pushing past his mother to go to Rohesia, who hadn't seen him arrive yet.

Aldise watched him greet Rohesia, putting his finger under her chin to coax her to look up at him. He said something softly and they walked out to the garden together, walking perhaps closer than was appropriate.

For one wild moment, Aldise thought about warning them Orion had already gone out to the garden, so they could avoid him, but then she told herself she'd let Rohesia dig her own grave. No one could have everything they wanted all the time, and if Rohesia had to learn this the hard way, then so be it. Aldise was doing her friend a favor, really, acquainting her with the facts of reality.

"Was that Alphard I saw?" Isabel asked Cygnus nearby.

"Yeah," Cygnus said, scratching his chin and glancing out to the garden. "Walburga told me he's hardly ever home these days. Seems to be in good spirits, though."

"Well, that's something," Isabel said thoughtfully.

But Aldise couldn't help hoping it turned out to be nothing.

/-/

Adam, Denis, and Oliver sat in a corner of the party, quizzing each other for their upcoming exams. NEWTs were still a couple of months away, but Adam certainly felt the pressure.

"Cold brew," Denis said, rubbing his jaw as someone's little sister – a Bulstrode, Adam thought – danced by, giggling and shrieking as the eleven-year-olds sometimes did. "Erm. Cold brew? That's not right. What do we call it?"

"Infusion," Adam sighed. "Infusion of…wormwood. Look, can we do something else? Potions are giving me a pain in my head."

"No," Oliver said sternly, checking his watch to see if they'd been social long enough, yet. Apparently not, because he didn't lead them out of the hall. The idea was to hang around long as necessary, and then retreat up to Oliver's room for a more thorough revision session. "That's the whole reason we're starting with Potions. It's difficult. What do we do with the infusion when the heat's on, though?"

/-/

When Rohesia had cried herself out on Alphard's shoulder, giving him a full measure of hope for the first time when he pressed a kiss to her cheek and she leaned closer, he watched her walk back to the house with a sense of fullness in his chest that was warm, expanding, like conquering.

Not two minutes later, Orion approached him from the back of the garden, and Alphard pulled out and lit a cigarette.

"Walburga's set a date," Orion said, despairing.

"You don't have to marry her, you know," Alphard offered, frowning. "You're of age. You can cancel the contract, if you want."

"You know how that would look," Orion said with a shiver. "I just wish…. Rohesia won't even speak to me. She doesn't understand. What did she say to you?"

Alphard hesitated. Rohesia was definitely furious, thinking Orion didn't love her enough to fight, so he couldn't love her at all. It was the kind of romantic outlook that really gave Alphard hope, because he'd fight for her, if he had to. His important family members would stand in his way, and once Orion was married in August…

"You need to promise me something," Orion said urgently.

Alphard didn't like the sound of that, narrowing his eyes.

"What?"

"Promise first. It's so important, Alphard. I'd never forgive you if you didn't promise."

"I can't make a promise if I don't know what I'm promising."

"You have to! You have to swear it!"

Alphard's stomach dropped, and he almost knew what his cousin was about to ask of him.

"I need you to promise," Orion said, near tears, "that no matter what happens, that no matter where we go from here, that you won't marry Rohesia."

Alphard knew where Orion was coming from – ultimate betrayal, knowing she was the girl they both wanted. It would be easier to marry Alphard's sister, no doubt, if Orion knew Alphard wasn't marrying Rohesia, either.

Just as quickly as Alphard had begun mentally planning the wedding, the honeymoon, the nice little summer cottage filled to the brim with their disgustingly attractive and hideously talented children, Alphard now saw a future empty, hollow, watching her be with someone else, some undefined stranger.

"Alright," he said through a throat so tight it stung. "Alright. I swear it. I swear I'll never marry Rohesia Fawley."

/-/

From the time Magnus saw Alphard enter the event to the time he saw him come in from the garden, he was a different man. He'd come in with confidence, like he was about to do something important and powerful, and when he came back in from whatever conversation he had with his cousin, he marched straight for the alcohol with lifeless eyes, as though someone had died in that garden. Maybe even Alphard himself.

Magnus crossed to where Alphard was, trying to think of a way to talk his best friend out of consuming far too much alcohol, but he hadn't found any words when Rohesia Fawley approached, and Magnus kissed her hand, unable to think of a better way to greet her. Alphard downed not his usual half, but a whole glass by the time it was his turn to greet her, in one gulp. Rohesia blinked at how quickly the firewhiskey was gone, and how swiftly Alphard swapped his empty glass for a full one.

"Excited for your exams, darling?" Alphard said, not looking directly at her, but over her shoulder, at a spot next to her ear, at a spot on the ground beside her feet, but never at her and certainly never at her face.

Rohesia seemed to sense something was wrong, and she gave Magnus a look he read as asking him to leave, but he couldn't. Because if he left, Alphard might do or say something stupid in front of her. And Alphard would never forgive him if he allowed that.

"I suppose so," she said, her musical voice laced with concern, and he took her hand, kissing not only the back of it, but the second knuckle of each finger on it.

"Why don't you tell Magnus about your projects, darling?" he said, forcing a smile that didn't reach his cheeks, much less his eyes.

She blinked, puzzled, but said nothing as he downed his glass in one, again trading for a full one. He didn't take his leave with words, but simply took his glass and walked out onto the patio. Magnus glanced at Rohesia with expectation, asking about her projects to distract her as he kept the corner of his eye on Alphard. She'd begun to tell him about her Herbology progress when he saw Alphard empty the glass in a smooth gulp and throw it at the patio, the glass shattering everywhere. Instead of walking into the garden, he took off for the open, grassy field in the back.

Rohesia must have seen it, because she looked up at Magnus, astonished.

"What's wrong?" she asked, horrified. "Is he alright?"

"If I knew," Magnus said, "I would tell you."

Although, if it was about what Magnus thought it was about, he almost certainly wouldn't tell her.

/-/

Walburga preened as younger women asked about her dress, what sort of cake she would have, was she thinking of a long or short veil, etc. She wanted her brothers to share in her joy, but Cygnus was too wrapped up in his own future spouse, and Alphard was nowhere to be seen. The one pleasing thing Walburga noticed as she glanced out across the party was that Rohesia Fawley looked near-tears as she spoke to the Greengrass girl and Selwyn by the wine. Selwyn took his leave as the Greengrass girl smoothed a stray strayed of Rohesia Fawley's hair, leading her away toward the toilet, perhaps to give them privacy, or maybe to have a quiet place to cry. It made no difference to Walburga, at this point.

"Walburga," Aldise Yaxley said insistently. "Please, we need to talk."

"I doubt it," Walburga said coolly. "You should be out there trying to catch a husband."

Aldise's eyes flashed, and the girl came far too close to Walburga, and she said, "Don't forget who furnished you with the information that procured your own fiancé, Walburga."

Walburga's nostrils flared, and for a small moment she thought she ought to hear out the girl, as the point was certainly a valid one. But then Walburga's wits helped her, reminding her this girl was a speck on the horizon.

"Recall you are speaking to a Black," Walburga said, narrowing her eyes at the girl. "And a Black who will forever be a Black, in the best possible sense. If you have any desire to marry well, to have your children be worthy of decent contracts, I strongly suggest you remember your place."

Aldise's eyes flashed again, but she took a small shuffle backward as her neck stiffened. Whatever she wanted to do or say, the reminder seemed sufficient to hold her tongue and stay her hand.

For the moment.

/-/

Isabel wiped away a few tears from Rohesia's lashes, trying to distract her.

"Hey, we graduate soon," she said brightly. "Exams, then you'll be crowned dux of the year, and we can all go out into the world, be treated as women instead of girls for a change."

"Alphard never treats me as a little girl," Rohesia said, raking fingers through her hair. "Even when we were children, he always treated me as an equal. Not like a fragile bit of glass. Damn it, these stupid Blacks! What do they want from me?"

Isabel didn't know what to say. Orion seemed to only want her forgiveness, which Rohesia was certainly not ready to give. But Alphard, who had seemed so promising when the day began, seemed to be in a whirlwind, maybe not even sure what he wanted.

After a few deep, sharp sniffles, Rohesia said, "I hate them. I hate them both."

"You're lying," Isabel pointed out weakly.

"I know."

Rohesia tried to take deep breaths, but they were interrupted by trembling, staggered sobs, causing her whole torso to spasm. Isabel sat beside her, trying to cuddle and calm her, like when they were little children, but this was totally different. Skinned knees were not broken hearts, and Isabel knew no remedy.

"He didn't even look at me," Rohesia managed to splutter.

Isabel was lost, not sure which of the cousins they were talking about now, but it was probably Orion. Alphard seemed incapable of looking at anything else when Rohesia in the room. That he would not look at her was laughable.

"It'll be okay," Isabel said weakly.

Rohesia didn't even dignify the poor effort with a response.

/-/

Aldise rubbed absently at her arms, and she held her breath as Randolph Lestrange approached her. She tried to perk up, smile, look a bit more pleasant and attractive, in hopes he would ask her to dance. It hadn't happened often before, but she had more hopes now.

"Miss Yaxley," he said, bowing his head slightly in a brief greeting, she smiled at him, nervous. "I wonder, have you seen Miss Fawley?"

Her stomach sank and she swallowed her frustrations, not wanting to say something she might regret later. But it was endlessly frustrating. Even a man who knew Rohesia's political leanings would rather be around her than Aldise.

"No," she said softly. "No, I haven't a clue where she is. Excuse me."

His eyes showed no concern for her as she took her leave of him, grabbed a glass of wine, and walked out onto the back patio, rubbing the flat area just below her collarbone for a long moment with two fingers, wishing she would stop aching.

A few younger adolescents – barely out of the music room – were running happily through the gardens, and Aldise watched one little boy, tugging on the plait of one of three girls gossiping. The girl turned to him, outraged, and he kissed her cheek, laughing as she squealed in horror.

Aldise frowned, seeing the scene and thinking how Alphard had done that to Rohesia once, when they were children about that age. They would have probably been about eleven, and Alphard would have been twelve – a horrid age for little boys. He'd always been buzzing around Rohesia when they were children, and for that one year when he was considered too old for the music room and she too young to leave it, it had been nice to have relative peace.

But as soon as they were out, he never left her alone, teasing her, tugging at her hair, and as they got older and older, dancing with her and standing perhaps too close, walking with her in the garden.

Why couldn't she just marry Alphard and leave everybody else alone? Aldise felt another rush of anger and frustration, and she held in a scream.

/-/

Adam pulled away from the group, wanting to get some air before they started in on Charms, and he stumbled into Rohesia Fawley in the corridor.

"Oh, apologies," he said, and he saw tears clinging to her eyelashes. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine," she lied, sniffing. "What are you doing up here?"

"Oh, a few of us are revising," he said, frowning. "What are you doing up here?"

"Have you seen Alphard?" she said, her voice tight.

He shook his head, puzzled. He'd never seen her at one of these events without Alphard somewhere nearby, if not right on her arm, then close enough to watch her.

"He's probably found somewhere to smoke one of those disgusting things," he said lightly, although he had a feeling there was nothing light about it. "You could…join our revision, if you'd like. We're about to start Charms. We've got some alcohol."

He shrugged, and she hesitated, but he was only mildly surprised when she agreed, following him into a room with three boys, closing the door behind them.

/-/

Alphard gripped tightly at his legs, biting his top teeth down on his knee through the fabric of his robes. He ignored Magnus, just fighting the urge to break something. He wanted to burn down the garden. He wanted to snap the tree across from him half. He wanted to reach out with his magic and rip the gates in two. Alphard had been so terribly close to happiness, and his stupid, selfish cousin had to ask something Alphard didn't feel he could deny.

And now she could never be his. No matter what he felt, no matter what she might feel in return, no matter how much pain it caused Alphard to think it, she could never, ever be his.

"You upset Rohesia, you know," Magnus said softly. "She thinks she's done something wrong."

Alphard gripped his legs more tightly, feeling his chest ache. He never wanted her to be unhappy, he just didn't know how to come to grips with the raging anger he felt, undirected and inconsolable. It was everything he could do not to let go, feel it all at once, and potentially have a dangerous outburst of accidental magic. Even at his age, something like this could cause a snapped tree or a burned down garden, and Alphard had never felt anything more strongly in his life.

He closed his eyes and tried to picture her face, but all he could see was her marrying some undefined stranger, and knowing that when the day came it would not be a stranger. It would be Lestrange or Greengrass, Malfoy or Magnus. Maybe one of the idiot boys her age.

But it wouldn't be Alphard. It couldn't be, and he didn't know what he had left to look forward to in the world. He didn't have anything he wanted to do, anything he wanted to accomplish. He had no passions except his own enjoyment, and watching Rohesia in a garden. Nothing was more exhilarating than watching her touch a plant and see it bloom and perk up with brighter beauty, as if it wanted to impress her. He loved nothing in the world except her, and cared for nothing but her, his best friend, his brother, and his cousin.

And somehow, none of those things connected, none of them aligned. Even if everybody else he cared about could be happy, Alphard never could be, and it happened so quickly, he wasn't sure he'd ever adjust to the idea.

 **A/N: So, Rohesia's all over the place, Alphard makes a very reluctant promise, and Aldise's plan hasn't worked out quite like she hoped.**

 **Review Prompt: How do you think Alphard will deal with this? Will he bounce back somehow, or spiral downwards?**

 **Q &A:**

 **Q: How long have you been writing? (Amy)**

 **A: Gosh, what a question. I started writing stories with friends when I was maybe ten, eleven. And I enjoyed it, and I was pretty decent. I kept trying to write after that, but it didn't really click. I have a story (LotR fanfic) that I've been percolating since then, but I'm not posting until it's perfect because LotR fans are a bit…scary. I started my first HP fan fic when I was twelve. It's actually a massive multi-gen I'm still working on, but I didn't share any of it for years. It evolved massively before I showed it to anyone—the main character had a new name and became a secondary character—but that was my senior year of high school. He convinced me to start writing and sharing. I was determined just to do that story, but about halfway through my freshman year of college, I started branching out, trying new things. At the time, I was planning on becoming a lawyer.**

 **Somewhere along the way, I started writing original stuff again, sort of sophomore year. And I realized I was decent, and it was what I wanted to do. I switched to lit major, focused on my writing. Got a teaching degree. And now I'm working on my creative writing MFA and agonizing over how my novel gets longer every time I edit. That should surprise no one who reads my work on here, especially this piece. I get this small idea and as I work, it always fucking balloons.**

 **So, long story short, I've been writing about…fifteen, sixteen years. In one form or another. In earnest, maybe six, seven years?**

 **Cheers!**

 **C**


	13. The Wrong Tree

**A/N: Here's your regular weekly update! Enjoy!**

 **-C**

Walburga poured herself a glass of juice, frowning at her brother across the breakfast table. Alphard had poured more whiskey in his tea, and she had a feeling he was off to some disreputable place as soon as he finished his toast. His eyes had been dull for months, and ever mention of Cygnus, exams, graduation, engagements, weddings – really anything to do with either of his siblings and their upcoming life events – he would become sour, sullen, and even occasionally storm out of the house without a word about where he was going or when he would be back.

"Perhaps," her mother said to her father softly, when Alphard left after his toast and spiked tea were consumed, "Alphard needs a bit of space."

"Space?" Walburga's father asked, bemused.

"Well, he is reaching a certain age, Pollux. It must be difficult. He's trying to be a man, but doesn't even have his own space. And he and Cygnus can't both be the man of this house. And Alphard hasn't even tried to put in a contract."

"Well, what do you suggest?"

Walburga was surprised when her mother suggested they help him find a house or flat of his own, paid for from his portion of the family vaults. The amount he, as the eldest son, would inherit upon their father's death.

Officially, technically, everything that wasn't going with Walburga for her wedding would go to him, but Alphard had already assured them he wanted a portion set aside, however unofficially, for Cygnus and Druella's needs. Including the house.

"Very well," her father said dryly, taking another piece of toast and dipping it into the yoke of his egg. "If you wish to arrange the matter, I will make sure it is funded. It might be good for him to do something productive, for a change."

Walburga wasn't sure buying a house was the sort of productive that was best for Alphard, but at least he wouldn't be sulking around the breakfast table, pouring alcohol into every beverage he was obliged to consume. And adding a property to the family line would not be a negative thing, provided he was sensible about it. She understood the strategic and political value of the Grimmauld Place property, but she could easily imagine her brother purchasing such a place in the middle of horridly Muggle neighborhood for the purpose of being around Muggle girls.

Her mother was already babbling about possible neighborhoods, people they might talk to in the realtor department, whether it was prudent to have him in the same county or look further afield. Walburga retreated to her bedroom, contemplating continuing her wedding plans, but deciding it wasn't worth messing with the stack of work without her mother's careful eye to help. And as her mother's careful eye was distracted on housing options for Alphard and place settings for Cygnus's engagement party, it didn't seem likely she'd have the necessary aid any time in the next few weeks, at least.

Instead, she pulled a copy of _Nature's Nobility_ off her very small, sparse bookshelf, and contented herself with another perusing of the familiar pages.

/-/

Cygnus started his exam period with his Charms practical, and the waiting area was so icy in atmosphere, he could have stood a jumper and scarf. Orion and Rohesia kept glancing at each other when the other was looking away, but their body language said quite plainly that they didn't want to speak to each other, and every person waiting with them clearly would rather be anywhere else. Cygnus couldn't take two straight weeks of this, and it didn't help, being the first person called in for every exam. Because then there were meals, study sessions in the common room, and now Rohesia had begun revising with their roommates, sharing alcohol in the middle of the seventh year boys' dormitory, sometimes sitting closer to Oliver or Adam than was strictly proper as they discussed various courses.

"Black, Cygnus," an examiner said in a reedy voice, and Cygnus glanced at his cousin before he entered the classroom used for the purpose. His stomach flip-flopped, and he swallowed his nerves, thinking of how small Rohesia had been looking of late, like a shadow of herself. He hoped it didn't have to do with his cousin or his brother, but he had a terrible feeling it was to do with them both.

"Welcome, Mr. Black," the elderly examiner said with a small smile. "Let's start with something small and simple, shall we? I find it helps alleviate some of the nerves. A Cheering Charm, please."

"On you?" Cygnus asked, almost amused. No wonder people wanted to be examiners. If they did all the exams on Cheering Charms, it wasn't such a bad job. And more than that, it explained why Charms was sometimes considered the soft option, an easier exam.

Hard to mark someone down when everything seems pleasant.

"On yourself, Mr. Black," the man said, grinning. "But I can see the cause of confusion. As I said, it helps to alleviate some of the nerves, and it does happen to fall in the purview of the course. A good starter."

Cygnus agreed, and cast the charm in question. Suddenly, the whole matter with his cousin and Rohesia seemed inconsequential.

/-/

Abraxas poured another glass of whisky for himself, and one for Randolph, before he sat down and looked over the newspapers.

"Riddle thinks I should let it drop, let her marry someone else," Randolph was saying, the only thing he'd been interested in discussing for weeks. "But he doesn't understand. To possess something like that…."

"She's not a china doll for a display cabinet," Abraxas said absently. "Unfortunately for you, she's not only a woman, but a very bright woman, with her own ideas and capabilities, and they don't align well with yours. Did you see this? The Kestrels are sniffing around O'Hare. Ridiculous."

"Her ideas can be changed," Randolph said stiffly. "Women are malleable, Abraxas. You just have to find the right pressure point."

Abraxas decided it wasn't worth arguing. He'd never met anyone less malleable than women like Rohesia Fawley and Isabel Greengrass, and he rather thought this was what made them so…intriguing.

/-/

Oliver kept looking up from his Charms Written exam. He couldn't help it. Rohesia Fawley was seated right in front of him, and her hair smelled unfortunately good. He knew it wasn't good for his head, spending this much time with her, especially as there was no way he'd win the contract, but she was a hard girl to say no to. And right now, she would probably be the primary reason he failed his Charms NEWT. Her and her delicious-smelling hair.

/-/

Orion waited outside the Transfiguration exam, staring at Rohesia, who was pretending not to notice as she plaited some of her hair absently. She'd still not spoken to him since their latest fight, and he felt mildly sick, knowing he was about to get married in the summer, and she would still be angry with him.

Perhaps she was right, but he couldn't do anything else. He wasn't his cousin.

"What d'you reckon, then?" Oliver asked Orion awkwardly. "Think you'll top the year?"

"No," Orion said, still staring at Rohesia.

Oliver asked who would, then, but Orion didn't answer. Oliver was simply attempting small-talk, and Orion wasn't the least bit interested. Everyone knew Rohesia would top the year, barring meltdown or disaster, and Orion would happily take second, if he got it. Especially as he'd already done so much to hurt her, he didn't want to take that last prize from her, if he ever could.

"Oliver," Isabel said, obviously hearing the conversation and wanting to change the tone of the wait, "tell me, have you lot planned anything for after graduation?"

Oliver paled slightly, glancing between Rohesia and Orion, and when neither gave him a stern look, he said, "We've got a few ideas, yeah. I thought about using the common room, but we'll have more privacy in our dormitory, and there's plenty of space for ten. That is, if you ladies are coming."

"We're coming," Rohesia said with a sniff. "All of us."

Orion looked toward the door, waiting impatiently for his name to be called. The last thing he wanted after graduating was spending his last night with the girls, watching Rohesia drink and flirt and be perfect while he was drinking. What if he did something stupid, like kiss her again? Oh, how he wanted to kiss her. He could already imagine, a few drinks in, both of them a bit more relaxed and warm and friendly, he would lean in close, tasting the alcohol on her breath. He wouldn't say a word, just press his lips to hers and feel her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him close….

"Black, Orion," the examiner called, and he shook his head, his cheeks pink, as he entered the room.

/-/

Rohesia tried to focus on her written Transfiguration exam, but she could feel several sets of eyes on her at any given time. Oliver Nott had been watching her most of the time lately, which was more tiresome than anything else, as she wasn't remotely interested in him. She usually had at least one examiner watching her at any given time, and Cygnus would look up at her every once in a while, but that was just normal for an exam day.

But Orion had been watching her almost constantly since breakfast, and she pointedly did not look at him. Apparently, he wanted her forgiveness, which she couldn't give him. Even if someday she could, it was far too soon. She'd seen the wedding announcement in the papers, that he and Walburga would be married in August, and she couldn't believe how recently she'd thought that announcement might be her and Orion.

"Be sensible," Isabel had told her the night before while Rohesia brushed her teeth. "You never wanted to marry Orion. You wanted a substitute for the man you really wanted, and Orion was the best bet. Nothing's changed, it's just Orion's off the table."

In her heart of hearts, Rohesia knew this was true, but it didn't stop her feeling betrayed by Orion. He'd said all the right things about how he felt about her, sweet and romantic things, and then when push came to shove, he didn't mean any of them. He was willing to let go of her just to follow the family wishes. What was sweet and romantic about that?

And to make things worse, Alphard had gone a bit cold since Easter. He'd warmed in letters, which came frequently, but there was no hint that he might actually take a chance, and perhaps she was wrong about everything. Perhaps he didn't feel what she felt, after all. Perhaps she was a blind fool.

Rohesia finished off her exam, took a deep breath, and contemplated checking it over, as she usually did. In her current state of mind, it was probably more necessary than usual, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

She raised her hand and the examiner – an absurdly young man for this role – rushed to her side, smiling at her, and she realized this must be one of the sets of eyes that had been on her as she worked. How dull.

"I've finished," she whispered, and he blinked before looking at her exam and realizing she was truly finished.

"Very well," he said, after clearing his throat awkwardly. "You can go, Miss…Fawley."

She almost rolled her eyes when he had to look at the top of her exam for her name. He must be Muggle-born. Anyone who had grown up in their world knew her face, just because of her father's prominence in politics, if nothing else. From the way Cygnus bit back a snigger and tried to pass it off as a small sneeze, he'd heard the man.

As she turned, her eyes met Orion's for the first time in weeks and she saw a hunger and a fire in his gaze, and while part of her felt flattered at that look, she also felt another rush of anger at knowing he dared think of her in any such way when he was willing to marry someone else. She left the room torn between those two points, exhausted and angry and wanting to have Alphard nearby so they could curl up and talk about nothing.

/-/

Cygnus stood near his cousin as they waited to go into the greenhouse, their last day in the Hogwarts greenhouses – and of course, it was for an exam.

Everyone stood back, letting Rohesia go in first. Whether she noticed the slight staggering in entering was unclear, but their year had long since learned when Rohesia entered a greenhouse, the inexplicable happened. Plants perked up, animate plants turned toward her as she walked, and several plants she touched or caressed would preen and even bloom against her skin.

The younger examiner who had been…watching Rohesia throughout the exam periods, was astonished to see a Venemous Tentacula attempt to cuddle her as she passed, and Rohesia let out a small, amused laugh, caressing the dangerous plant before going to her own project section of the greenhouse.

"Did that really just…?" the examiner asked, his eyes wide, watching her with the adoring astonishment so common with men who have noticed her.

"Yes, sir," Cygnus said, smiling. "Every time she walks into a garden or a greenhouse."

"But…how…?"

"Nobody has a clue."

It was true. Just as much as everyone knew plants loved Rohesia, especially the animate ones, no one understood why or how. She just had a remarkable, seemingly unprecedented affinity for growing things. If she didn't end up with an Outstanding in Herbology, the system was broken.

Cygnus's plot was next to Rohesia's, with Isabel on his other side. He wished both ladies the best, and they softly echoed the sentiment as the greenhouse went quiet. The examiners took their positions, the younger man making a point of going to the quarter of the greenhouse with Rohesia in it, his eyes lingering on her perhaps more than was socially acceptable. Cygnus tried not to laugh, especially as he'd seen far too many people he cared about torn apart by their admiration of Rohesia Fawley. But he faked a cough to cover the laugh, anyway.

As they began to work, Cygnus wished he'd put his plot next to someone else, because it was very distracting, trying to think of what his plants needed while Rohesia's plants all reached out to touch her, and even some of Cygnus's and Oliver's plants attempted to touch her when she came close to the plot edges. On the plus side, Cygnus mused, the examiner in his section was essentially just watching Rohesia work. So, any mistakes Cygnus made, unless they were massive, they wouldn't even be noticed.

/-/

Isabel giggled as she watched an examiner try to chat up Rohesia before the Herbology written exam. Cygnus raised his eyebrows, taking a seat with Isabel in the back.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Look," she said, nodding toward a very polite, but obviously irritated Rohesia, and the very hopeful-looking examiner. "Apparently, his name is Charles Turnbrooke. Muggle-born, I expect. Anyway, he's been piling it on thick."

Cygnus closed his eyes with a little smile and shook his head dramatically.

"You must be joking," he said, opening his eyes and looking back up at the scene before him.

"I think Rohesia wishes it were all a joke. He's been at it ten minutes, trying to get her to agree to a drink after she graduates. He's got no clue what tree he's barking up."

Suddenly, Rohesia's patience ran out, and her neck stiffened, her head jerking back, and a sneer forming at her lips. The last time Isabel saw that look on Rohesia's face, a very drunk, several years older Ravenclaw half-blood thought he could have his way with her. Alphard nearly killed the idiot for putting his hand on Rohesia, not that he'd managed to hurt her.

"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" Rohesia said coolly. A few students who had been pointedly ignoring the matter looked up, astonished. Rohesia was nothing if not polite and pleasant to practically everyone. "I don't date."

"Sorry?" the poor examiner said, in completely over his head.

"I don't date," she repeated, over-enunciating to make her point. "I will court when I choose which contract I want. And even if you put a contract in, I assure you, I wouldn't select it. One must have some prospects, after all."

Charles Turnbrooke looked very puzzled, and she sniffed, walking toward Isabel and Cygnus tossing a bit of hair over her shoulder.

A very kindly other examiner cleared her throat and motioned him over, probably to gently explain to him why he was poking around way out of his league.

"What a moron," Rohesia said, fuming. Isabel bit back a giggle, nodding her agreement.

"Very well-stated, though," Cygnus said, grinning. "Forgive me, but I have to ask. What did he say that got you so angry?"

"Oh, he'd been trying to talk me into getting a drink for ages," Rohesia said with a sniff. "And I know your brother well enough to know what _that_ means. I told him finally I wasn't interested in men who weren't serious. And he said, if you can believe it, he was quite serious about dating me. But he said it that way, you know, like…"

She shrugged, her lips twitching, tight.

Isabel and Cygnus exchanged concerned glances. Although Isabel didn't think Turnbrooke had meant to say anything in a way that reminded a girl of someone who takes advantage of women, and although Isabel knew Rohesia was still a bit sensitive because of the idiot Ravenclaw all those years back, he'd definitely barked up the wrong tree at the wrong time. Because Isabel had a horrible feeling her friend thought Alphard had only…wanted to have a bit of fun all those years, and had never felt for Rohesia what he'd inspired in her. Of course, Isabel and Cygnus knew the feelings were both ways, but it was impossible to make either one see reason. So, they said nothing.

 **A/N: So, Alphard's mother is looking into him getting his own house, an examiner puts his foot in it, and Rohesia is furious at basically everybody.**

 **Review Prompt: What kind of house do you think Alphard will want?**

 **Q &A: Ask me anything! I'm out of questions for this part, so ask away!**

 **Cheers!**

 **C**


	14. Determining Expectations

**A/N: Here's your weekly update! Cheers!**

 **-C**

Adam slid the newspaper across the table at breakfast. Apart from Darren O'Hare signing for the Kestrals, the most important thing was the announcement of engagement.

"I thought the official announcement was coming after the party," he said to Cygnus – his future brother-in-law. "That's what Druella said at Easter."

"Well, either she got restless," Cygnus said, squinting at the announcement, "or my mother did. Both seem plausible. Although, I rather had the impression that my mother was preoccupied, finding a place for Alphard to live."

"What, he's been kicked out?" Adam teased.

Cygnus rolled his eyes.

Adam knew it was a matter of trying to get Alphard his own space, to give him a bit of freedom. Adam had never been close with Alphard, but he rather had the impression the elder of the two brothers needed no extra help finding freedom and space. He took both whenever and however he wanted.

But perhaps things were more complicated than Adam realized.

"Do I have to wear different robes for the wedding and the engagement party?" Adam asked.

"Probably for the best," Cygnus said, shrugging and glancing up as Rohesia, Isabel, and Aldise entered. "You know your sister."

Adam hummed. His sister would probably be out for his blood if he didn't take both events seriously, which probably meant wearing different sets of dress robes. An expense, but no doubt one his parents would find worthwhile. Social standards were a funny thing.

"Does she look off-color to you?" Cygnus muttered, but when Adam asked who, Cygnus didn't answer. They all looked normal enough to Adam, so he just turned his attention back to the marmalade.

/-/

Dionisia Rowle saw the last day at Hogwarts go by in a blur, standing on the outside and looking in at the strange normality of the day, packing and gossiping and changing her hairstyle three times, as she did every year on the final day in Scotland. She would be home by dinner the following day, but she walked to her final Hogwarts feast in a strange hyper-clarity, as though the rest of the day had been a dream, and this dinner was as real as reality could be.

She watched the other seventh years in their various spots at the front of each long House table, noting the disappointment of the Gryffindors at losing the House Cup to the Slytherins, noting the tension of several Ravenclaws who hoped to top the year or win various prizes. But the most palpable tension in the room was that between the Head Boy and Girl, who did not look at each other still, as they had not done for six long months, since Orion's engagement was announced and the Slytherin common room became an ice cavern.

Professor Dippet began the feast, and the food was consumed with some level of pleasure, but not without heavy helpings of nostalgia, regret, and fear. Because Dionisia had yet to receive an offer for her hand, and did not know yet what her future might be. Hogwarts was safe, familiar. But the future, graduation….

Fearfully unknown.

/-/

Alphard stepped into the house and nodded thoughtfully. His mother had thrown herself into finding him a place of his own, but when he gave her his requirements, he hadn't expected it to be quite so…grand.

"Dining room through here," his mother said, gesturing through to the right. "There's a study through here. And if you come forward through the foyer, we have the living room."

He followed her through, glancing on either side at the curving staircases, thinking how stifling, like every house he'd ever been in it was.

"Seven bedrooms," she said, almost apologetically. "The fireplace is sizable, but the music room isn't separated. You could, perhaps, relocate it. Or, if you'll follow me."

He did follow her, through a sizable kitchen to a much larger gathering space, not quite a ballroom, but suitable. As large as what the Crouches used, anyway.

"There's a room through there," she said, gesturing at an archway. "Actually, there's three. The first would make a suitable second music room. Then there's a billiard's room, or perhaps you would prefer it to be a library? Then there's a private study or office."

"Mother," he said softly, and she blinked at him. "How big is this place?"

"I thought I said seven bedrooms," she said, puzzled.

He almost pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's too big, Mother," he said softly. "Do you have any…smaller options?"

"Oh, of course," she said brightly, taking a few lists out and nodding as she found another option she'd vetted. They walked back out to the front walk and she took his hand, Apparating them to the second option.

A sizable house stood before him, with a large fountain out front with elaborate carved lions.

"You could change those to snakes easily enough," she said with a sniff. "Nine bedrooms," she said as she led him forward.

"Mother, I said smaller."

"It is! Nearly a thousand square feet smaller. Now, dining to the right again, study to the left. Isn't this foyer much nicer?"

"It's much bigger," he sighed, frowning.

"Now, the entertaining space is very nicely sized," his mother said with a frown, "but the children would have to be kept through here, I think, in the living room, which is a bit tricky, because anyone wishing to see the children would have to go through the kitchen."

Alphard bit the inside of his lip.

"Mother," he said, as patiently as he could, "this is still much too big."

"Oh," she said, frowning, looking around. "Really? Well, just as well, I suppose. As I said, the layout does leave a bit to be desired, and moving rooms this size with magic can be quite an ordeal. Let me see…. Oh, here is this one!"

He sighed, letting his mother lead him back outside to the front walk and take his hand, Apparating them away again. The house did look…marginally smaller. Perhaps another thousand or two square feet less. He rubbed his temples and allowed her to drag him inside, saying, "Now, this is much less grand on first walking in, as you see, with a much more enclosed foyer, but I think you'll find the entertainment layout most suitable."

If Alphard didn't love his mother, he would have screamed at her.

/-/

Rohesia smoothed her skirt, not looking down at the small pile of awards in front of her, and the similarly sized pile in front of Orion. She knew he was watching her as they were about to announce who received the top of the year, and who had come in second. She didn't care much, one way or the other, but it would make her father immensely proud, and she had a feeling it would make Arcturus furious, if she beat Orion to top of the year.

"We had a difficult decision this year," Professor Dippet said with a kindly smile. "It came right down to this very morning to find a separator between second and dux. However, I am pleased to bestow the honor of second in the year to the highly capable Orion Black!"

Rohesia let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Orion took his prize with grace and his head held high, but she knew two Blacks receiving second place in a row was not the image Arcturus and Pollux wanted to convey. She wondered if she was a step up from a Mudblood, or just as distasteful to them.

"And we are quite pleased," Professor Dippet continued when the applause died down, "to announce that the dux of the year is Miss Rohesia Fawley!"

She smiled her most gracious smile, gliding forward, accepting the award, shaking his hand, and even kissing his cheek, enjoying that he blushed slightly. She then proceeded, as was tradition, to thank each professor individually, even those who never taught her. She paused longest with Professor Slughorn, who was doting as usual, and with Professor Dumbledore, who gave her what she was surprised to find was a very sad look. She wondered if his shocking blue eyes could see her smile was only a surface matter, that she felt more lost and angry and alone than she'd felt before in her life, at a time when she was supposed to feel in charge, powerful, directed. She thought she'd be wearing an engagement ring to mark the contract by now, not trying to decide what to do about the seemingly endless tack of possible husbands.

"Take your time," Professor Dumbledore whispered gently, in her ear, as he leaned across the High Table. "The right choice will still be there when you've taken a deep breath. Many of the wrong ones will scatter with impatience."

She realized he was talking about her marriage prospects and she nodded sharply, slightly, wishing she knew the answers now, because she didn't know what to do with herself, moving forward. She couldn't get a job. She wasn't ready to plan a wedding, and all she had was a library and a few friends to keep her occupied.

Perhaps this award, in her hand, would be the highlight of her life, she thought bitterly as she returned to the Slytherin table. Perhaps there was nothing better to come.

/-/

Randolph poured himself a glass of whisky and looked gazed out the conservatory windows to the back garden.

"Rosiers hosting," Abraxas said, his voice clearly bored.

"I don't care," Randolph said dryly. There were few things he cared about less. The only positive to the June events was an opportunity to see Rohesia again, to remind her of the contracts she had put on hold.

"I imagine they'll do the official announcement of Adam's sister marrying Cygnus Black. Although, we all knew already. I find such things to be pointless. Have you got any more of this brandy?"

"In the cabinet," Randolph said, not looking around. "Do you suppose Rohesia topped her year?"

"I'd be shocked if she didn't," Abraxas said, bored. "Riddle's coming 'round to mine tomorrow. You're expected."

"I assumed."

He knew Abraxas was smirking. They were having a proper gathering, Dolohov and the like, and Abraxas hated such things. But Randolph usually enjoyed them. Only, lately, Riddle had taken an interest in Randolph's interest in Rohesia, turned it into a source of weakness, attempting to ridicule Randolph's desire to marry someone of Rohesia's…leanings.

Just that morning, Abraxas had pointed out that marrying a woman everyone else wants is a good way to wind up cuckolded, especially someone so single-minded as Rohesia Fawley.

But they didn't understand. And that was alright, Randolph supposed. He would never be cuckolded, even if he had to take extreme measures to possess her. It wouldn't take long for her to learn and understand her place, but first he had to convince her to marry him in the first place. Of course, he was the only reasonable option, but one never could tell with women. They often made such irrational decisions, like her apparent interest in Orion Black.

"He's thinking about your best interests, you know," Abraxas said, sitting on the bench seat beside Randolph.

With a small snort, Randolph said, "Don't fool yourself, Abraxas. The only thing of interest to Tom Riddle is himself and his own power. And I'm not fool enough to expect I could do any better than take the crumbs off his table, when he gets where he wants to be. But he doesn't have my interests in mind. He has his plans for me in mind, and how she may or may not work into those plans."

"I'd hazard a guess that she doesn't," Abraxas said dryly.

Randolph just drank his whisky.

/-/

Isabel dragged her fingers through Rohesia's silky hair, plaiting it in the boys' dormitory. Oliver was pouring everybody drinks, and had even grown bold enough to ask to play a kissing game, but when Rohesia gave him a stony look, he backed off on that plan.

"He congratulated you," Isabel said brightly. "That's something."

Rohesia shrugged.

They were talking about Orion, who had been a perfect gentleman as he congratulated Rohesia for her victory as the dux of the year. Since then, he'd watched her from across the room, sipping his gin and ignoring the attempts of his cousin to talk to him.

"Oi, Adam," Isabel said, trying to make the party a bit more…enjoyable. "What's your mother planning for the food?"

"For the engagement party, or the event?" he asked, staggering over and filling Isabel's glass with more gin.

"Event."

"Fuck if I know. Oi, Rohesia, you look ridiculous like that."

"Like what?" she asked, smoothly and coolly.

"With the fucking ropes on your head," he said, sniggering.

"The plaits look lovely," Isabel said sternly.

Rohesia pulled her hair free of Isabel's hands with a sigh and said, "No, he's right. It's absurd. Let me let it out."

Isabel sighed, letting go and watching as Rohesia shook out all the plaiting she'd just spent ages on. As much as she tried to plait it, Rohesia always resisted, in the end.

/-/

Upon arriving home, still slightly hung over from the party after graduation, Adam was greeted by his sister, who was having tea with a very tired-looking Alphard Black.

"Oh, Adam," Druella said, her lips twitching. "Alphard was just telling me of his house hunting…endeavors. You've just missed Magnus Selwyn, as well. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Adam groaned, and Alphard's twitching lips said Adam's affliction was well-recognized. Well, leave it to Alphard to recognize the signs of a hangover, and Alphard gave Adam a wink, poured some tea, and stirred in something Adam assumed would help.

It did, and Adam sat with them.

"Anyway," Alphard said with a sigh, "the fourth one was the final straw. My mother loved that one, with all its bloody columns. And I can see why. I mean, the dining room was on the left, which isn't ideal in my mother's books, and Merlin forbid I live in a house with only six bedrooms, but the great room was massive, and the music room was accessible by an arcade into the east wing – out of the way, but not through the kitchens."

"What did you say?" Druella asked, smirking.

"I said, 'Mother, I appreciate your ideas about a house.' Don't laugh, Druella, I did. And then, 'But I don't want to host events. I have no interest in hosting anything but a few close friends for a glass of whisky and a hand of cards. When I said smaller, I meant a cottage.' Well, she was a bit disappointed, but armed with that knowledge, and a limit of four bedrooms, tops, she's been put back into the market."

Adam rolled his eyes as his sister laughed, but he was careful to appear gracious. Whatever Alphard's hangover cure was, it was golden.

/-/

Orion unpacked his trunk, staring at the foot of his bed, feeling the weight of reality crushing in on him.

It wasn't as though he would never see Rohesia again, and perhaps that made it worse. He would see her at the June events. Her family would almost certainly be at his cousin's engagement party, at Orion's wedding, at Cygnus's wedding, and at every event thereafter. Orion would likely be obliged to attend her wedding, to whomever it was, and he believed he Halloween event this year was meant to be held by her father, with her being a hostess for it for the first time. Orion could already easily imagine how graceful, how beautiful she would be, acting in that role.

So frustrating that they couldn't achieve some measure of normalcy before graduating. Because even though he knew he'd see her again, and many times, it would never be simple to fix things with her, especially not now she was a woman, fully looking toward the future instead of a girl looking at exams and patrols and awards.

"Orion?"

His father's voice was remarkably soft, almost gentle as a knuckle knocked lazily on the doorframe.

"Yes?" Orion said, not turning. No doubt, it was something about his upcoming marriage. He didn't exactly dread marrying Walburga, but it was something close to that.

"We are having dinner with your cousins tomorrow. There will be much to discuss after dinner. I expect you will wish to be caught up on the details of your upcoming wedding. Do you feel you have a suitable set of robes?"

"Yes," Orion said, thinking of a set of silver dress robes he hadn't worn in some time, but that certainly would still fit. Casual enough for family, but enough to be able to say he dressed for dinner. "What time will we leave?"

"Half six. I should warn you, Pollux is not currently well-pleased with Alphard. You might have expected as much, but keep that in mind during the conversation."

"Yes," Orion said, finally turning, wearily. "I understand."

Pollux was always poorly oriented toward his elder son, so this was hardly news, and everything he'd heard through Cygnus about the house hunting and the political malaise and the insistence on going out to meet Muggles in various villages or areas of London, just for things to do…. Well, it was just Alphard being Alphard, but nothing either Orion's or Alphard's fathers ever approved of.

Orion's father said he ought to sleep, that he looked tired. An elf would bring up a light supper, and that Orion was expected at breakfast in the morning, as usual. They had things to discuss.

Orion nodded as the bedroom door closed, and he sighed. He had a feeling they were going to talk about his future, his prospects, and the expectations on someone in his position, given his place in society. He just pressed the heel of his hand into his forehead, annoyed. But he'd always known this was his lot in life since he was old enough to understand the future, and that was all there was to it. Fighting would get him nothing.

 **A/N: So, Rohesia tops the year and worries this is it, Alphard fights tooth and nail to live in modest housing, and Orion and Randolph approach their futures in opposite directions.**

 **Just a note, the Part 4 update is going to come tomorrow instead of today. Sorry for lateness. Family emergencies don't seem to stop around here. One fire is put on the backburner and another flares. I don't even feel anything about it anymore, just doggy paddling along, trying to manage.**

 **Review Prompt: If you could afford it, would your house hunt look more like Alphard's or his mother's?**

 **Q &A: Ask me anything!**

 **Cheers,**

 **C**


	15. Impossible Decisions

**A/N: I'd say "regular weekly" but as you may have noticed, things are a bit screwy at the moment. My family situation is so screwed up right now, I don't know when things will calm down. I can't and won't make promises other than that I'm going to keep pushing forward, and that every review, PM, follow, and favorite you give me is an extra push toward these stories. Don't give up, and I will do the best I can until I can have some assurance of better regularity.**

 **-C**

Magnus sat in the corner between the Rosiers' music room and their hall, where the June Events were being held. He turned his drink in his hand, watching Rohesia Fawley with interest. She was closed, talking quietly with Isabel and Aldise, trying to shrink away from view, but still she drew nearly every eye in the room.

Since Christmas, even in his worrying about Alphard, he spent a great deal of his time thinking of what it would be to marry her. Every person who dropped out of his way meant he was a little more likely to be her choice, even though it seemed mildly impossible. She accepted a glass of wine from Adam Rosier, who whispered something in her ear, but she shook her head, ignoring the frustration on his face as he walked away.

One negative thing about the year with her at school while Magnus was graduated was that the boys in her year were suddenly sticking to her like flies on flypaper. Orion, less so. Cygnus, he never stuck to anyone but Druella. But Oliver, Denis, Adam…. They seemed more comfortable asking her to dance, engaging her in conversation, attempting to pull her off on her own. They weren't successful, but they did try.

Magnus watched as she walked out to the gardens with Isabel, perhaps trying to escape the crowded room, and he watched her, wondering what to do. Part of him was afraid and thought if he didn't give her space, she'd brush him off as easily as the others. But part of him knew he'd never win her over if he didn't try to catch her attention. It had worked for Orion, until the engagement.

Before Magnus could decide what to do, Alphard arrived, ignoring several giggling girls as he crossed to Magnus, snapping up a drink and settling next to him.

"How's the house hunting?" Magnus asked, not wanting to discuss Rohesia at all, if he could help it.

"Oh, glorious," Alphard said with a snort. "Once my mother started looking at reasonably sized houses, it was simple enough. Three-bedroom cottage in Wiltshire. I wasn't keen on Wiltshire, but I wasn't about to press my luck when she found something so reasonable. I'll have to build the library in the bonus room, but it's plenty big enough of a space. The study's nice. You should have heard Walburga, though, when she looked at the floor plans Mother left out. 'It's hideously small, only one fireplace.' As if I need more than one. How's the party shaping up?"

"Dull," Magnus said, trying not to glance out to the garden. Alphard wasn't likely to mention Rohesia, either, if he wasn't forced to. Not since Easter. "Doing a housewarming?"

"Having you and Cygnus and Orion over for drinks, yes," Alphard said, sighing. "Housewarming? Not bloody likely. Use that word around anyone in my family and I'll have your testicles."

Magnus snorted, having a sip of his drink, wondering if their conversation could be heard in the music room. He hoped whomever was managing the children forgave him for not moving Alphard along, particularly outside. Not while she was out there.

"I suppose you've got quite enough of that going right now," Magnus said sympathetically. "Between the engagement parties and wedding plans and all that. When are you moving in to your place?"

"Tomorrow," Alphard said, stretching after finishing his glass, setting the glass on a nearby table. "Shouldn't take long. It's the books that'll take some real doing. My father and Uncle Arcturus have both said they'll gift me a few reasonably selected books as housewarming gifts. Dunno which I'll choose. They've got pretty interesting stores. I'll likely let Orion have first look, since he's getting books as a wedding present, as well."

"Anything you don't take will all be his, anyway," Magnus said with a shrug. "Why not take what you want?"

From the frown that came over Alphard's face and eyes, Magnus knew his friend was no longer thinking of books, but of contracts. Magnus didn't know what the arrangement was, exactly, but he knew Alphard wasn't going in for Rohesia despite Orion's engagement to Walburga. Magnus was grateful, but Alphard seemed less and less himself as time went forward.

"I need a smoke," Alphard said, frustrated.

Magnus hoped he wouldn't say that, but there was no helping it. The two men went to the back patio and almost as soon as Alphard leaned against the outer wall and lit up his cigarette, Rohesia and Isabel were in sight. Alphard sighed, his eyes glued to Rohesia, raking her form. His expression softened upon first seeing her, then hardened again as he took a long drag of his cigarette.

"You should go talk to her," Alphard said to Magnus, not looking away from her. "She'll have to make a choice, soon."

"I couldn't," Magnus said, shifting uncomfortably. "You should, though. Way's open."

"No," Alphard said, his expression hardening even more. "No, it never will be. Anyway, she would be good with you. You're a caring man. You adore her. You can give her the financial considerations she needs."

"She doesn't need anything," Magnus said with a laugh. "Alphard, she's going to inherit a manor of her own. Who cares if all you've got is a cottage? You can live at hers."

"It's not about that," Alphard said with a bit of a snap in his words. "Look, talk to her or not. I think I'm going to leave."

"Alphard."

He shrugged, though, and did not leave. He simply put out his cigarette against the wall of the house and stalked off to the edge of the grounds, gripping at a fence post and keeping his back to the house. And Magnus stood, torn between Alphard and Rohesia, completely unsure what to do.

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Walburga kept a close eye on Orion, who was restless. He'd not stood in any one place for long during the whole of the event, and he'd stopped to have a word with Aldise Yaxley before he crossed to the back, to the French doors leading out to the patio. He simply stood there, looking out at the garden, and Walburga didn't have to guess what he was looking at.

Before she could avert his attention from the Fawley girl, Cygnus handed Walburga a glass of wine and said, "Relax, sister. You're supposed to be enjoying yourself. Your wedding is approaching."

How could she relax when her husband-to-be was still obsessing over another woman? How could she be pleased when Orion paid no special attention to her, did not even stand with her for more than a few minutes at a time? He did his duty, but no more.

She had always thought that would be enough for her, but somehow that her cousin would do this to her was…too much. Harder than if she'd simply married some pureblood male.

"What does he see in her?" Walburga said softly, aware that others might overhear.

"I don't know what you mean," Cygnus said, although he clearly knew exactly what she was talking about.

Walburga took is as a hint to make her question more oblique.

"Rohesia Fawley," she hissed. "What could a man see in her?"

"Beauty," Cygnus said, amused. "Grace. Intellect. Charm. If I weren't in love, I'd have thrown myself in the ring. Ask yourself what could pull a man away from her. The list is far shorter."

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Aldise grabbed another glass of wine, joining Dionisia and Iseut in a little cluster, ignoring their mild surprise at her approach.

"We already know Rohesia must have got the highest possible grades in everything she did," Dionisia said, sighing. "You know, I think I can get Oliver to propose."

"You've said that every day for two weeks," Iseut said, rolling her eyes. "He's still got a contract in for Rohesia. You'll have to wait for a spouse like the rest of us."

Aldise frowned, recognizing the unfortunate truth in Iseut's words. Randolph and the other men hadn't stopped staring at Rohesia since her politics were brought to light, and not a single contract apart from Orion's had been formally withdrawn, so it was now down to waiting for Rohesia to make up her mind about who she wanted to marry.

"The waiting is terrible," Dionisia said, rubbing her jaw. "I don't want to end up like Walburga, you know? Not marrying until so late, it must be terrible. And then having to marry her cousin?"

"Second cousin," Iseut repeated, with the tone of someone who was tired of having the same discussions and arguments played out dozens of times. "And at least she's marrying. Not all are so lucky. We need to birth more males in this gene pool, you know. It's getting a bit thin."

"Or we could just kill the women who get in the way," Aldise half-joked before taking a drink of her wine. From the way both girls looked at her, they knew exactly what she wished she could do but would never dare.

/-/

Druella grabbed a glass of wine and frowned across the room as her fiancé spoke to his sister. Walburga was apoplectic, which was unusual. But she did try to keep a lid on her crazy while they were at public events, keeping a low enough profile if she was upset about something. Which told Druella that Cygnus and Walburga were discussing Rohesia, and Druella wondered if Rohesia had any idea the kind of hatred she inspired in so many women.

/-/

Iseut woke the day after the June events and was handed a letter – her exam results. Her hands trembled slightly, although they hardly mattered. She sighed, opening the letter and examining the list.

"Oh, I passed everything," she said, smiling.

"That's lovely, darling," her father said, not looking up from his newspaper.

"I mean, nothing glorious."

"That's fine," he said, still not looking up. "You won't need them. Did you get any progress during the events?"

"On contracts?" Iseut said with a sigh. "No. I hope you didn't really expect anything, Father. Not until Rohesia makes up her mind."

He grunted, not looking up.

/-/

Albus looked over the list of student grade readouts for the NEWT exams. Rohesia came very close to the highest ever scores in several areas. Looking up at his chart, and discounting Muggle Studies as so many Slytherins did, Albus was able to adjust the whole thing and only three names occurred at the top of each column: Rohesia Fawley, Alphard Black, and Tom Riddle. Three of the brightest students he had ever seen, three years in a row. Of course, he did not consider his own exam results. But they were not far off.

The question was one of emotional intelligence. All three were brilliant, but stunted. Tom by his hunger for power, Alphard by his self-sacrificing love, Rohesia by her inability to process loss. Someday, those weaknesses would catch up to each of them, and Albus feared it would have terrible implications for their respective ability to realize their potential.

He considered the chart and wondered what Tom would do, if he could see the list. No doubt, Tom knew he wanted Alphard to join his little posse, but what lengths would he go to to acquire both Alphard and Rohesia? In a way, Albus was relieved the pair were not likely to marry, because what Tom might do with children from such a marriage would be horrendous.

He poured himself more tea and sighed. Now it was simply a question of waiting.

/-/

Rohesia sighed, setting aside her perfect exam scores and stirring some egg into her potatoes. Her father gave her a thoughtful glance and she knew there were things he wanted to ask her, so she thought she'd preempt them, in part.

"I have perfect results, if that's what you're wondering," she said dryly. She wanted to ask whether he was proud of her, but she knew he was. She wanted to go see Alphard, but she knew it wasn't appropriate, despite his always being a gentleman. She half-wished he would be a little less of a gentleman occasionally, but she supposed that was a dangerous thing to wish for.

"I never had a doubt," her father said, smiling. "Have you given much thought to the future?"

"Every day," she said, rubbing the corner of her jaw.

"Darling, I mean your future."

Contracts.

She sighed, nodding, looking at the sink. She kept hoping Alphard would put forward his name, but the longer she waited, the more she thought perhaps his family meant more to him than he realized. Perhaps his father held some power over him she couldn't compete with. And without him, she didn't know what she wanted.

"I wish I could just not marry," she said, trying to sound like she was joking, but her father knew her too well.

"If…if you think it would be easier for you," he said slowly, "perhaps I could…. Well, it is customary for a reason, I suppose."

"No," she said, standing in a single, sweeping motion. "I'll choose for myself."

She left the room with her throat tightening, realizing her life was on hold until she made a choice.

/-/

Magnus was stunned by the beauty of the engagement party, of watching two people in love as they celebrated their commitment to each other. Cygnus and Druella had been in love so long, it had always been more a matter of time than anything else.

His eyes searched for Rohesia, and he saw her with Alphard, the pair of them whispering in a corner. He felt a stab of jealousy, but he knew Alphard was not going to ask for her hand. Somehow, that only made Magnus feel marginally better about his own chances, but he couldn't deny they were beautiful together. A perfect physical compliment, elegant and dark, aristocratic and well-sculpted. They both stood with utter confidence in their superiority, and the way they stood together, turned toward each other and leaning toward each other, spoke volumes of their obvious attraction.

Magnus had long ago asked himself what he would feel, knowing his best friend was in love with his wife. Knowing his wife was attracted to his best friend. Not an easy thing, but not terribly uncommon in their world. And Magnus told himself it would be alright, because more than anything, he trusted in Alphard's capacity for loyalty and self-control. He wanted to see Alphard happy, but if Alphard was already denying himself…at least Magnus could be happy.

Isabel Greengrass handed him a glass of champagne and he thanked her with a mutter. She smirked.

"They'd have such beautiful children, wouldn't they?" she said with a sigh. "Oh, don't give me that look, Magnus. I know Alphard well enough to know he's never going to ask for her hand. He's a fool, but there it is. The question is, what are you willing to do to win her over?"

"Do?" he asked, and he almost laughed. "This isn't a matter of best in show, Isabel. She isn't interested in someone who's the best at this or that. She wants a life companion. That's what drew her to Orion. It's what she likes about Alphard. Someone who appreciates her and would give her the flexibility to live her life. My edge is that I understand what she's looking for, where the others don't."

At least, this was what he told himself, desperately, when he wondered if there was enough in his favor. Isabel's smile was encouraging, though, and he hoped it would all be enough.

/-/

Isabel spread out the sandwiches while her father spoke in their parlor with Abraxas Malfoy and Randolph Lestrange about Hankin's future. The engagement party was three days gone, and she was determined to keep herself informed on all the goings on of their world, even if she had to eavesdrop to do it. A time-honored tradition of female purebloods.

"There's been some real progress," Abraxas said lazily, and Isabel could feel his eyes glancing back at her as she worked. She tried to seem innocuous as she listened, but she did glance up and meet his gaze for a moment, and she saw his eyes widen slightly before he looked down at his tea.

"Yes," Randolph said, stirring his tea absently. "The Werewolf Register should be passed within the week. I've pushed for branding, but that may take more time to arrange. One can't always tell, you know, especially with the new ones."

"Yes, I see your point entirely," her father said, nodding eagerly. "A noble enterprise, to be certain. Hankin does have knowledge of Creatures, but as I understand he focused on the more…harmless matters. Nifflers and Crups and such. Certainly not creatures with intelligence."

"That's irrelevant to our needs," Abraxas said quickly. "The Outstanding is all that's necessary, really. And…if I might be so bold…." Her father nodded him on. "Well, it is my understanding from a discussing I had with Miss Fawley that your daughter has a solid understanding of such matters."

Isabel glanced up, her chest constricting painfully as Randolph's neck stiffened. Her father blinked bewildered.

"Abraxas," Randolph hissed, horrified.

"No, no, listen," Abraxas said, raising a hand, pointedly not looking at her. "Hankin still has the standing to accomplish things, and he has the paperwork to get him there. But his sister has expertise to coach him, prepare him, lead him if necessary. And her presence at an event or two to celebrate his successes would not be unusual."

It did make sense, and Isabel held her breath as her father looked over Randolph's shoulder at her, thoughtfully. She wasn't sure if she wanted to help them or not, as all her studies of werewolves taught her that things like the registration of them would only make things worse, and branding was just unnecessary and cruel. But this was a chance to accomplish something, to make a mark on history, which was something very few women in her circle would be granted.

Perhaps it was selfish, but she was torn.

"I will consider your proposal," her father said softly, "as will my children, and I will give you a response shortly. Have some sandwiches, please. My wife was quite adamant they be offered."

Isabel lingered just long enough for Abraxas to meet her gaze again before she melted out of the room, her heart racing, excited and terrified and strangely isolated.

 **A/N: So, Magnus starts to get his hopes up, Druella and Cygnus are officially engaged, and Abraxas hands Isabel a barbed opportunity to make a difference.**

 **Review Prompt: If Alphard and Rohesia were to have children, what sort of plots do you think Tom Riddle would have for such talented and malleable creatures? (the children, not the parents)**

 **Q &A: Ask me anything!**

 **Cheers!**

 **C**


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